Bruises and Bitemarks
by Yr Alban
Summary: She hadn't always been cold. She hadn't always hated love. But, then, everyone she loved died because of just that. She loved them. She refused to let that happen again. She refused to love anyone and make herself vulnerable. Things never go as planned.
1. Prologue: Unsaid

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence.**

**And, it beginnss... Hope you enjoyy. (:**

**Prologue; Unsaid**

xlx

_Suffice it to say  
We're leaving things unsaid_

xlx

She was late.

Late for her training. Late for her period. Late for nearly everything in her life.

An arm wound around her stomach worryingly, she panted as she came to an abrupt stop in the training room. Her heart was pounding, faster and faster until she was positive it would burst out of her chest any moment.

"You're late."

Her ragged breathing hitched at the sound of his voice, azure eyes turning up to his. He arched a brow, waiting for her explaination.

What could she say? The truth?

That she'd been fretting for half an hour over her period and it's absence? No, that would just result in an awkward and unwanted silence.

"Sorry. Didn't feel good," she mumbled, looking away from his bright eyes. It wasn't a lie. Her stomach had been rolling sickly from the anxiety and she had been sure she would have thrown up if she had anything in her stomach.

Her mentor was silent for a moment, a disbelieving hush settling around them. He spoke after a moment, shaking off the quiet. "And how do you feel now, Ms. Harmon?" He asked softly.

She glanced up at him, a frown touching her young face. Her heart was still pounding, her stomach still churning from anxiety and she felt feverish.

Obviously, she did not feel any better than the morning. Stress and anxiety had never been her friend.

"Much better, sir." She answered firmly, her tone urging him not to push the issue. It was her body and if she felt that she could not take the beating then she would say so. As it was, she refused to appear weak from such a trivial matter.

The man nodded, accepting her answer, and turned away from her. Her eyes followed his every movement, watching carefully as he prepared the simulator.

It was one of the more important days of training she knew, finally going to attempt to take her mentor on in a fight. She would be damned if she left for some stupid thing such as this.

The harsh black walls of the training room disappeared slowly, a dark forest replacing them. She stiffened, a hand fluttering to one of the sheathed katanas at her waist. The cold breeze, partially blocked by the tree's foliage, skipped across her bare stomach, sending a shiver down her spine.

A twig snapped a few yards away, her opponent approaching cautiously but not quietly enough. Her hand closed around the hilt and slowly, she drew the glistening katana out of it's sheath, body crouching instinctively.

It would not be long now.

She controlled her breathing, keeping it slow and quiet. Her eyes scanned the edge of the forest, muscles and joints starting to ache from the prolonged crouch.

Impatience crept into her, fear bringing back the thoughts of her body's problem.

Cold metal sliced against her flesh.

She shrieked, losing her balance and toppling onto her back. Cereluan eyes gazed down at her, glowing eerily in the forest's moonlit darkness, a smug look about them.

Cursing herself for letting her thoughts wander, she rolled out of the way as the blade sunk into the grass where her chest had previously been. Breathing fast and hard now, she raised her own weapon, parrying a possibly fatal blow.

What was going on?

She had thought this was just for training, that he'd possibly go easy on her.

It seemed to her that he wasn't holding back at all, slashs and stabs flying at her, leaving her almost no time to defend herself from one attack to another. She spun, ducked and lashed out as vigorolously as she could.

This was not like her usual simulated and easy fights. This was an actual opponent that knew her every weakness, every crack in her guard exposed to him.

This was unfair.

His speed was not rivalled by her own, just as her agility could not be rivaled. Being smaller and lighter than he, she should have had the advantage.

Should have, had he not been an experienced SOLDIER First Class.

"Had enough?" Her mentor asked, his voice calm and steady. Nothing about him told her if he was tiring, not even his impossibly quick movements.

She shook her head, gritting her teeth as they met in a challenging stalemate. "Just getting warmed up," she answered tersely. Her muscles shook slightly in her attempts to match his strength, gloves tight and slipping on the hilt of her own blade.

He ducked, moving out of the way and allowing his rapier to slip out of the straining match. She stumbled forward from the momentum, catching her balance easily and retaliating quickly.

The glistening silver of her katana glowed an eerie red from the light his rapier was emitting, the screeching of blades filling the silent forest. She spun away at the promise of another strength match, unsheathing the second katana that hung limply at her waist.

Now armed with two glowing silver blades, she smirked at her mentor. She had three weapons on her person, not to mention her feminine power, to his one rapier.

There was no doubt to her who would win this fight.

She shifted into a fighting stance as he charged, parrying the slash with one weapon and lunging with her other. He moved away, too quick for her nearly blurred movements. Her heart was pounding in her throat, the thrill of the fight pushing out any doubt that maybe, _maybe_, this was going too far, nothing else on her mind..

Until blinding pain washed it all away.

Her heart was still pounding, but with shock and pain rather than speed and adrenaline, and her breathing was still hard and fast, but that was to stop her from crying out weakly.

Daring to look to her seemingly pulsating shoulder, she cringed.

Blood trickled in a crimson stream down her right arm, staining the pale skin it touched. It was coming from a thin gash on her bicep, long and deep and seemingly equiped with a never-ending supply of blood.

"Damn," she swore, taking off a leather glove, pulling irritably as it stuck to her clammy skin. Her muscle flexed when she pulled, her vision going black for a dizzying moment and extracting a gasp from her.

With a buzzing, the muggy air of the forest that had made her skin crawl was lifted, the hovering trees and their foliage gone. Replaced by the cold and dark training room.

"Are you okay?"

Her eyes flickered up to her mentor's, a cheeky and cheerful smile on her lips, hoping that it would cover the way her jaw was set and how her teeth gritted together in attempt to not be affected by the pain. Her fingers dug angrily into her upper arm, avoiding the wound, nails biting her flesh.

"Fine. Just .. Just a cut." She answered, cupping the injury and holding her arm carefully behind her back. She refused to be seen as weak. It was just a wound, something that heal over time and become another scar.

He gave her a look of disbelief and concern. She looked away, face flushing at his scrutinizing stare, feeling feverish once more.

"I'm fine, sir. Can we get back to our lesson, now, sir?"

He was still eyeing her. "You're pale," he stated after a moment of tense silence. Her eyes narrowed at him accusingly. So what if she was pale? She couldn't help it. "You've lost too much blood, Katelyn. I'm saying this is as someone who cares about your well-being."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, gloved fingers brushing against her exposed neck, eyes boring into hers. "Please, tell me you'll go to Hollander and get it looked at."

She wanted to reply, to say that she was fine and she'd heal soon enough, but couldn't find her breath. He was so close, cereluan eyes incredibly bright with concern, too close for her liking.

On their own accord, her eyes flickered to his lips.

Her heart pounded, not with shock or fear or adrenaline this time. With something entirely different. Anticipation.

_He was too close_.

She couldn't think properly, couldn't form a sentence, even in her own mind.

His breath swirled in her face intoxicatingly.

Suddenly, breaking the intimate - too intimate - moment, she took several quick, frantic steps back, nearly tripping over her own feet as the room spun sickeningly.

"I," she gasped to keep her head above the depths of blood-loss-induced exhaustion, feeling frighteningly faint. "I have to go. I'll see you later.."

Turning quickly away from her mentor, she nearly fell with the momentum she had gained and burst through the wide double doors, gasping for the air that she was suddenly deprived of.

_Maybe_ she had lost too much blood.

That could only explain the desire to kiss her mentor, the man she had been training with for two years.

It had to be.

xlx

_And we are leaving things unsaid,  
And we are breathing deeper instead._

xlx

**So...?  
A rewrite of another story I did that I didn't like much.. And the update for this one is coming soon, I swear. By tomorrow afternoon or early morning, or even some time closer to midnight tonight...  
Well, what did you think? Horrible or okay?  
Reviews are love. (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	2. One: Moment

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the reviews and the alerts. Made my day. (:**

**And, so here we aree, chapter one. XD Hope you enjoyy!  
::There is a two year difference between the prologue and the first chapter. In the prologue, Katelyn was only fifteen. Making her seventeen in this chapter and the future chapters, until I change this..::**

**One; Moment**

xlx

_You've got me poppin' champagne  
I'm at it again  
Caught up in the moment  
But not in the right way._

xlx

"Shut up."

"_My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess_."

"Shut up! I'm trying to do something!"

Kat Harmon groaned in frustration, raking a hand through her hair violently. The papers in her lap were wrinkled and smudged beyond hope, the paper worn thin from her constant erasing.

She couldn't get her work done, not with that particular SOLDIER 1st Class quoting LOVELESS beside her to no end.

"_There is no hate, only joy-_"

She shot him a murderous look, silencing him effectively.

He was doing it on purpose. Just quoting the damned book over _and_ over again until she was about to snap and throw it out the window.

Just trying to get a rise out of her.

"Genesis, I swear, if you don't shut the hell up-"

"_My friend, the fates are cruel. There are no dreams, no honour remains. The arrow has left the bow of the Goddess._"

He cut her off.

To quote that damned book.

Kat swore, shaking her head. This was beginning to be too much. If she could just tell Lazard about this, she wouldn't have to do the work or worry about passing it in. Anyone who knew Genesis would know how annoying it was to listen to him quote it all the time.

"What's the matter, Katelyn?"

Her eyes jumped to his bright and playful face, a scowl on her considerably younger features. He had gotten up, as silent as he had always been, and approached her, grinning down at her.

She glared openly at him, crossing her arms over her chest defensively at the sound of her full name. She despised it as much as the man who had given it to her. "Nothing," she answered coolly.

If she had been fifteen, again, and inexperienced with men, she would have been panicking and trying to get away as fast as she could.

But, Kat was seventeen and _very _experienced with men as it was.

She was not the innocent little girl who could be pushed around by a pretty face anymore. She was the not-at-all innocent woman who refused to fall in love.

With anyone.

Not after what happened to her family.

"Are you sure?"

He stepped forward, invading her personal space.

Kat narrowed her eyes at him, taking a step back to match his every movement. If anyone were to walk in at that moment, they would find the respected and adored - or so she'd like to think - Kat Harmon, SOLDIER 1st Class, being chased backward in circles by her superior and elder.

It would be an odd sight, indeed.

"Of course," she answered, annoyance dripping from her words. Why wouldn't she be? The only thing that was bothering her was _him_ and she longed to tell him this, but he'd make some sort of snide comment and she'd lose her cool..

It would not turn out pretty.

"It seems like you aren't.." he murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Hadn't this happened before?

Two years ago..

When she had skittered away. Afraid of what could happen if she did whatever it was that she wanted to do. Afraid he would think she was just some stupid little girl or that she was confused because of her family.

Not anymore, she thought cheekily. "It seems like you're not an ass, too," she commented, shrugging off his hold. "But, you are."

Genesis didn't seem deterred by her, continuing to approach her. Scowling, Kat placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back while he advanced.

This feeble attempt of distancing them only resulted in her sliding back with every step he took, her boots squeaking against the floor. "Could you.. Can you.. _Stop walking_!" She cried after sputtering, brows knitted together and a scowl denting her face.

He opened his mouth to most likely make some smart-ass comment about what else he could do besides walking but was interrupted by the high-pitched ringing of both their phones.

Grinning when he turned away from her to answer his phone, Kat brought her own shrieking device to her ear, moving away from the auburn haired First.

"Hey. It's Kat."

The caller snorted, though did not make a remark about the style she answered her phone. She scowled at the wall. "Is he with you?" A familiar voice asked.

There could only be one he that they would know would most likely be with her. She groaned quietly. "When _isn't _he? Quoting that damned book all the time while I'm trying to finish that paper work." Kat answered, running a hand through her slightly damp hair. "Why do you wanna know?"

A feminine laugh echoed down the line. "Still obsessed with Loveless?" The caller sighed with amusement. Kat smirked, glancing over her shoulder at the grumbling redhead. "Lazard wants you two in the briefing room. Now."

Opening her mouth to make up an excuse why she couldn't go, why she was suddenly deathly ill and going blind and mute and deaf , why she couldn't move or else she'd die, she found that the only sound was the beeping of the dial tone.

Kat swore inwardly.

Of course.

For one year, her luck had been drastically against her.

It seemed that it wasn't going to get any better anytime soon.

xlx

"Gongaga.."

Kat looked up out of habit, eyes narrowing accusingly. It was the first word she had heard of the entire speech the Director had, and was the only word that could affect her as much as it did.

Her heart had began to race at the mere mention of the small village, bare hands clammy from nerves.

Gongaga?

They were sending _her_, Katelyn Harmon, to _Gongaga_?

Were they _crazy_?

"I'm not going." She stated as if it were a known fact, stuffing her hands into her pockets.

The Director turned his gaze to her, frowning. "I'm sorry, Ms. Harmon, but this is not up for debate." He apologized, though it was obviously not heartfelt. She scoffed, looking away from his leering eyes.

Of course it wasn't. They were just trying to break her, or see how much she could take before she broke.

Well, if that was the case, Kat was certain that it would not happen for some time now. She could be strong if she had to be. Here she was, alive and literally kickin', when every expected her to be dead from trauma and suicide.

Not that she ever thought of killing herself.

She had worked too hard, killed too many people to get to where she was now. There was no way in hell she was going to give up just because she lost her family. She had more to live for.

"So, what are you gonna do? Tie me down? Sit on me? Get the Turks on me? 'Cause you'll have to. There is no way in hell I'm going to Gongaga." Kat shook her head defiantly, smacking her lips together. "No way."

The Director sighed and turned his gaze away from her. "That is exactly why Mr. Rhapsodos is accompanying you." He explained. The man in question grinned as all eyes in the room turned to him.

She swore loudly, gaining the attention again, not caring much about the question eyes.

This was too much. It had to be joke. She was being sent to Gongaga for Gaia knows why and now _Genesis_, the man who annoyed her more than humanly possible, was going with her?

Where they just trying to piss her off or something?

"No. No. He can go," she informed them, jerking her head at the redhead on the other side of the room. "I'm staying here."

Of course, Lazard ignored her. Of-bloody-course.

Her life was perfect.

"You two have an hour to pack, then report back here immediately." He instructed, not every sparing Kat a glance. "Genesis, would make sure Ms. Harmon does get onto the helicopter and does not try to run off?"

From the corner of her eye, she could see the smirk on her elder's face.

She tried her hardest not to burst into angered tears or a swearing rampage. If only Lazard knew how literal he would take that order..

First, she didn't get her paperwork done.

Second, she found out she was being sent to Gongaga.

Third, she had to go to Gongaga with Genesis.

Three things of importance had happened that day..

All of them made her want to curl up and die.

"Dismissed."

Kat couldn't hold it in anymore. She swore, loudly and violently, while exiting the briefing room in a series of stomps.

Yes, she was not a little girl anymore.

That didn't mean she could throw a tantrum at the unravelling of her life.

xlx

She pushed back a rebellious lock of near-black brown hair behind her ear impatiently, trying in earnest to shove another pair of gloves into the over-flowing duffel bag.

With each shove, she added more force, working her anger out in a more "positive and dignified" way. Or, so Angeal Hewley had told her.

Kat didn't know who she had pissed off in a former life, but she wished desperately that it was he that was going with her. Not Genesis, who would likely find a way to bother the living daylights out of here.

It would be a long trip.

"Times up. Ready?"

She started, nearly falling off of the tall bed.

Her hands clasped at the sheets, hauling her weight into a more cautious position, regarding the chuckling man in the doorway with narrowed eyes.

How the hell did he get in?

You needed keycards to get into rooms, and, as she was one of the only females, quite mature and a First, her room had more locks and security than any other SOLDIERs.

It didn't make any sense how he had gotten in.

Unless...

Lazard. He just loved to mess with her.

Kat sighed, zipping the stuffed bag with a hand and slinging it over her back with the other. She couldn't get out of this. Couldn't even get to her cell phone to call Angeal or Sephiroth and beg them to take the mission for her.

Not with Genesis standing right beside it.

"Guess I don't have a choice, huh?"

He shook his head.

She looked down, shaking her head sadly, then brought her eyes quickly to his. Something was different about him.. Something she couldn't quite place.

Though, and this she admitted reluctantly to herself, he was quite good-looking - or very, but she wasn't in the mood to marvel over a pretty face - and it made sense why she had had a crush on him back when looks were all that mattered.

Pushing him out of the way, she snagged the waiting phone and jammed it into her trouser's pocket. "Alright," she muttered, glancing back at him disdainfully. "Let's go and get this over with."

This would be hell. She knew it.

xlx

_Why don't you say so?  
Why don't you say so?  
Give up and let go._

xlx

**So..?  
What did you think?  
Good? Horrible?  
Want more?  
Revieww. (:**

**Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	3. Two: Family

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. **

**Chapter twoo. (: Let's hope I get this done before school starts tomorrow (blegh). Anyways, hope you enjoy! XD**

**Two; Family.**

xlx

_I can show you pain,  
And make you say my name._

xlx

It _was_ hell.

No.

It was more than hell. It was incredibly worse.

The helicopter had landed a few miles from Gongaga due to mechnichal failure, but she knew it was not so.

It was life. Getting back at her.

She groaned for the hundredth time since she had been practically dragged into the helicopter, shooting a murderous, but pleading, look at Genesis.

The Third that was accompanying them hadn't stopped talking since he had arrived, had literally been bouncing in his seat. He was too excited for someone as grouchy and moody as she was at the moment.

Then, there was the damned book. Genesis had brought LOVELESS with him and was reading it out loud numerous times, then telling Kat and the hyper Third the intrepration of the act. Each act.

And reread the act afterwards.

She almost pitied the young boy beside her, he was far too young to be subjected to such things. If he had sat still for ten minutes at a time, maybe she could have felt bad. But, he didn't, so neither did she.

"I can't believe I get to go back to Gongaga! Home! Isn't your home, too, Ms. Harmon?"

"_Legend shall speak of sacrifice at world's end. The wind sails over the water's surface, quietly but surely._ It's supposed to mean-"

"I joined SOLDIER when I was thirteen. How old were you when you joined, Ms. Harmon? I bet you were thirteen, too."

"-The wanderer knows that in order to end it one of them must die, and so he initiates the a fight to the death. The prisoner is unable to kill his-"

"My parents will be so happy to see me! Will your parents be happy to see you, Ms. Harmon?"

As if someone hit the mute button, the talking ceased.

Kat was tensed, not looking at anyone, not hearing another word. Would her parents be happy to see...her? No, most likely not. Her father would be enraged and her brother would be moody and distant.

She did not want to think about the others.

It was still too much.

It had only been a year.

Why was Lazard doing this to her? Didn't he understand what she was going through?

"No," she murmured, aware of the two pairs of blue eyes on her, one curious and one wary. He was waiting for her explode on the kid. She wouldn't, she couldn't.

He had to only be fifteen. Kat could remember clearly when she was his age, and she would've been thrilled to be going home after two years of being away.

But, she was older and so much in her life had changed since she was fifteen.

There was a reason why she didn't want to go to Gongaga and she wouldn't admit it to this boy. Kat refused to think about it any longer than neccesary. She was a masochist.

"This was my home, but it isn't anymore. Midgar is."

She looked to the quiet boy. "Be happy. It's doubtless that anyone in 3rd Class is allowed to go on an assignment in their hometown. I didn't and neither did he," she jerked her head without looking away from the violet-blue eyed boy at Genesis. "I think."

Solemnly, the fifteen year old nodded, seeming much older than he was.

This was why she hated ShinRa at times.

He, this innocent, sweet and overly-excited boy, could have done anything in life. He could have had a life. But, if he was in SOLDIER, he couldn't.

It would control him. He would see things that people his age should never have to see.

It was the perfect life for someone that had nothing to lose.

"We're here," Genesis' voice announced, tearing her from her thoughts. Kat looked up from the ground, meeting his eyes.

The aqua-green irises were bright with something, the same mysterious emotion that had lingered on his features before they left. She could see it clearly now, the sun shining into them eerily.

Pity.

He felt sorry for her.

Her heart twinged at it, though she could feel her face contort into a scowl. As much as she loved to know he cared enough about her to feel bad for her, she hated the fact he did. Kat didn't want pity.

She wanted answers.

xlx

Katelyn Harmon hated her father with a passion.

He was not the typical widowed man, no. He was buff and tall and all the part of the retired SOLDIER 1st Class. Hell, he still had the blazing Mako eyes.

All in all, he was a handsome man still. It was no wonder why her mother had married him, back when he had the personality to match hers. Soft-spoken, warm and gentle.

Or, at least, he had been once.

Damien Harmon had changed as much as his children. None of the family hadn't been affected.

Her sister, Lyndsay, had became wary and promicious, sleeping around with everyone. Her eyes hadn't left Genesis from the moment they arrived at Kat's former home.

Where as her sister was unguarded and open, her brother was the exact opposite. He was moody and distant, though it seemed to lift with her arrival.

None of her family would look away from Genesis, though, and it embarrassed Kat to no end. Her father and brother were glaring openly, not even trying to disguise their hatred, and Lyndsay eyed him like he was a piece of meat.

She couldn't remember why she hadn't killed herself at the thought of going home, though it was most likely because everyone thought she would attempt to.

"Should I be surprised he's here, Katelyn?" Damien growled, eyes flickering to her for a brief moment. She glared at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

It was hard to remember the man before the accident, the only memory being him blaming her for all of it.

For her mother, for Joey, for leaving when they needed her most.

For protection, though, and that was all. They didn't need her to be with them for familal reasons or because they worried about her.

Damien wanted her there in Gongaga to ensure his and his other childrens safety. It was selfish and disgusting and she couldn't have left sooner.

"Should I be surprised you're still an ass?" Kat retorted.

The Third, who was with them for mere convience, sucked in his breath. She didn't spare him a glance. Genesis wouldn't say anything, neither would her elder siblings. They knew the relationship between the two.

"Katelyn." Damien snapped, sounding as if he _was_ her father. Not just a man who shared her name. "If he or this kid here, or any of those damned SOLDIERs tried anything-"

Lyndsay and Kat's gasp of shock and outrage cut him off. The younger of the two's face was nearly the exact same colour as a tomato and she refused to meet anyones eyes beside her father's, who she was glaring at.

"Nothing is going on! No one tried anything and I'd kill them if they tried!" She snapped, eyes unconsciously flickering to Genesis. His cheeks were glowing a faint red, but, other than that, he didn't seem as affected by Damien's remark.

Damien continued to glare at the redheaded SOLDIER, disregarding completely what Kat had said.

Her brother moved to her side, making the Third slid backward, to Genesis, and rested an arm on her shoulders in a territorial manner.

She scowled, shrugging off the arm. She was not in the mood for possessiveness, not now, not ever. She wasn't anyones.

"I had to meet with you, Damien. What the hell is it that you need?" Kat hissed, taking a threatening step toward her father, brows furrowed together and a scowl denting her face. She didn't want to be here.

It was all Lazard's fault.

The memories nagged at her, attempting to drag her down and pull her under.

She wouldn't let that happen. She had to be strong. She wasn't going to break because of this damn man.

"Monsters." Her brother stated from her side, having not left when she forced his hold off. "Attacking at night, hiding during the days. We've lost a lot of men to them already."

Kat glanced over to him, side-stepping in order to meet his eyes. She frowned at this, noticing how the Third stiffened, watching more closely. "Any survivors?" She asked curiously.

Her brother nodded. "Two."

She looked over to Genesis, pulling at her lower lip with a tooth, brows furrowing in thought. If they could get to at least one of those survivors, they could find out what these monsters looked like and then sort out what they would do..

It seemed like the smartest thing to do.

"Who was it?" The older First questioned, earning glares from her brother and Damien, though he didn't seem to care.

"Me."

Kat's jaw dropped.

She couldn't help it.

Her sister was one of the survivors? Her sister, the innocent and weak girl who couldn't even open a bottle of soda by herself?

How _the_ hell did she survive?

Genesis glanced to Kat, as if he was asking permission to approach Lyndsay.

She shrugged. It wasn't up to her to decide what he did. "What did they look like, Ms. Harmon?" He asked smoothly as if there hadn't been a moment of hesitation between the youngest girl and himself.

Lyndsay batted her lashes at him, clasping her hands innocently behind her back. Kat made a soft noise of disgust, exchanging a look with the Third.

Of course, she had to act like a .. like a ... tramp. Slut. Hooker. Prostitute.

Each one fit her perfectly.

"Well," her sister pouted up at the redhead, trying to be innocent. It made Kat want to throw up. "It was real dark outside, see. And I was so scared and alone."

She laughed.

She couldn't help it. It was hilarious to see her sister try to pull the innocent charade on Genesis. Kat could the number of times she had told her superior about her sister's ways all the way to fifty.

There was no swaying him.

But, that didn't mean he wouldn't play back.

Which he did.

And she had wondered why the male members of her family hated him..

She couldn't watch this, she decided. It was embarrassing. Leaning toward her brother, she tapped his shoulder. "Who was the other survivor?" Kat mumbled, voice nearly inaudible. He wouldn't have heard if she had been an inch or so shorter.

"Michael Welsh."

She nodded, slipping out of sight behind the taller man and tapped the Third's arm. "Hey, let's go. Let my sister fool around with her new play thing," she offered, arching a brow. Both teenagers glanced to where the brunette was praising Genesis' appearance.

He already knew he was good looking. He didn't need her to tell him.

The boy turned back to her, grinning greatfully. "Sounds good."

xlx

Tea was placed in front of her, the expensive cup rattling on the saucer.

She looked up to the man, Michael Welsh, who had placed it there, a sweet and innocent smile on her lips. The plan was in place. She was a visiting daughter of ShinRa - who, truthfully, only had a son - and was looking for good camping spots to spend with her boyfriend, the fifteen year old boy, Zack.

It was plausible.

Kat was short for her age and short for being in SOLDIER, also refusing to wear the uniform for her personal reasons.

"So, Miss Shinra, how can I help ya?"

"Well, Zack and I are looking for some good campin' spots up in the mountains, see. He says we shouldn't go because there was reports of monsters around, but I say it's fine. He's strong enough to protect us," she answered, taking the younger boy's hand and digging her nails into his palm.

The elderly man shook his head, aghast. "No, ma'am. You're boy here is right. Too dangerous up dere. I got attacked by a monster up dere a few weeks ago," he shook his head, bringing his own cup to his lips. "Not fun."

Kat frowned, glancing to Zack suspiciously. He leaned forward and for a moment she forgot he was only fifteen. The way he moved and talked was much older.

"What did they look like, sir?" He asked, eagerness slipping into his tone. She bit her lip to keep from groaning. He seemed older and higher ranked than Third, but he didn't have the acting abilities that most Seconds did.

Michael put his cup on the saucer, the china clanging as it met. "Big. Huge things, really. Like a wolf, but.. Different. Has a horn thing comin' from it's shoulders." He shook himself with a noise. "Scared the shit outta me."

She sucked in her breath, contorting her features into a mask of concern. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Welsh! I'll have to go tell my father, perhaps he can get some SOLDIERs here," she cried, getting to her feet quickly.

Almost too quickly.

It was difficult to pace herself, familiar with the speed and grace of SOLDIER rather than the dulled and slower reflexes of civillians.

Nonetheless, Michael nodded. "Good idea, Miss Shinra. I think there's a better-"

He didn't finish.

Zack and Kat were already gone, the younger struggling to keep up with her fast steps.

"You know what it is."

It wasn't a question but she answered it anyway.

She was positive it was what she thought.

"I know what it is."

"We're going to it."

She stopped when she heard the anxiety in his voice, crossing her arms when he turned back to her. She could remember her first mission with Genesis and Angeal. She had been terrified and had thrown up numerous times.

After that, it had gotten easier. A lot easier, to the point where she looked forward to going on a mission alone.

"Y'know, I was about your age when I went on my first solo assignment," she told him. "I was so scared I'd screw up and never get pass 2nd Class. But, I didn't. My mentor told me that I had to grow up and stop being such a baby." Kat chuckled and shook her head. "He was an ass to me that day, but, I did it, didn't I? I made it to First."

He stared at her, some of the apprehension gone, but the majority of it still lingered on his face and in the way he stood. "It gets easier, Zack," she said softly. "You just have to remember I'll be there. This is your home just as much as it was mine."

He straightened, a full-blown grin on his face now. Kat grinned back and nodded, trying hard not to like the kid. He reminded her so much of herself when she was fifteen. Eager to please and excited to be out on the field.

She prayed nothing would happen to him, nothing would stop him if he did continue on in SOLDIER.

"To answer your question, yes. We are going to it and we're going to kick ass before Genesis does." Kat winked at him.

"What do you have against him?"

She chuckled, continuing on down the road, eyes dead set on where the road ended and the forest began. "I've known him for a while. Once you know someone like him for over two years.. It's more of a competition than a relationship. That, and he's obsessed with LOVELESS."

Zack laughed heartily and Kat couldn't help but giggle along.

It felt good to be young again.

Even if they were going to what was most likely certain death.

xlx

_Feel the magic rise,  
We're plotting our demise._

xlx

**So...?  
How did you think? (:  
It seems really long on Word, but Iunno...  
Anyways, I hope you enjoyedd!  
Reviews are love. (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	4. Three: Fight

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence.  
I am currently writing the prequel to this. It'll only be a few oneshots loosely tied together, and it'll be set between the prologue and first chapter.  
And by currently, I mean I'll write it as soon as I can.**

**Here we go, numero trois! Hope you enjoyy! XD**

**Three; Fight.**

xlx

_So hard to make it through  
That past always catches up with you  
So afraid of what you'll do._

xlx

Kat was thankful that she had brought her jackets.

The leather of her trench kept the cold away from her torso, though her bare legs had gone numb a long time ago.

She wished the sun would set so she could do her job.

At least Genesis wasn't with them, she thought happily. If he was she and Zack would be subjected to a torture of the cruelest kind. Listening to him talk about LOVELESS.

She wanted to die just thinking about the damned book.

"It's fucking freezing." Zack chattered from her side and she didn't bother to scold him for the foul language. It wasn't like she was an angel or something, she swore more than what was likely healthy.

So, Kat nodded instead, because it was freezing. She hated Gongaga. She hated her family. She hated Lazard, and, most importantly, she hated Genesis.

She had decided at some point on the trekk to the camp site that it was all his fault. Everything that had gone wrong in her life since she met him was his fault.

Her family had be torn apart.

Her life was be in ruins.

And she _liked_ him when she was fifteen.

It made her stomach churn sickly at the thought.

"Where do you think Genesis is?"

She looked up, grinding her teeth together to keep her jaw from dropping in shock. The question had caught her off guard, something she hated being.

Where did Kat think her old mentor was?

Likely screwing her sister or skulking around their campsite.

"I'd say stalking us," she decided, tossing a dark look to the forest that surrounded them. Zack chuckled and didn't speak again. The campsite lapsed back into silence and Kat returned to her thoughts.

Lyndsay had taken the incident worse than any of the siblings. She had thrown herself at men, seducing them at all hours of the day and night. Sex was her outlet just like fighting - verbally and physically - was Kat's.

She couldn't explain the feeling she had gotten when her sister had set her sights on Genesis. It was disgust, yes, and embarrassment that she would make a move on her mentor, but there had been something else.. Something just out of reach yet still was able to make her feel queasy.

Kat shook the thought out of her head. It had been the disgust of seeing her sister do such a thing and, probably, uneasiness of being around her `family´ that made her feel queasy and sick.

Nothing else.

"_Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return._"

She swore loudly, looking up to the leather-clad man with narrowed eyes and getting to her feet. "Tired of Lyndsay already?" She asked, her tone sharper and colder than neccessary though it didn't seem to bother him.

He simply blinked at her before joining Zack by the fire.

Kat scowled at the fluttery feeling in her gut and the redhead man.

He annoyed her to no end and she had no idea why.

"I like your sister, Katelyn," he called suddenly after the campsite had lapsed into comfortable silence.

Kat's jaw dropped in outrage, eyes dark with accusations.

Someone would have to be insane to like her sister, to like Lyndsay. She was the total opposite of how the men Kat knew thought she was.

Not innocent and naÏve, no. Lyndsay knew what she was doing and _who_ she was doing.

It was one of the reasons why Kat had left Gongaga as quickly as she could.

Something stirred in her chest, tightening like anaconda around her chest. It was that same feeling she had had while watching Lyndsay make moves on him. The same queasiness and choking feeling.

It couldn't be connected. It just couldn't.

"I heard that one before." Kat shouted back, sauntering over to the man and boy, glaring down at her former mentor. "What did she do to put you in such a good mood?"

She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest before settling down beside Zack. He grinned, she could tell from the way his back straightened and cheeks puffed, and tried to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

Kat shot him a look, resisting at first. She wasn't going to get attached to the kid. Not when he could possibly die tonight.

She was strong, she could handle death - most of the time - but here, in Gongaga, a year after the incident that destroyed her family?

She wasn't _that_ strong.

But, then he just had to give her puppy eyes and pout at her adorably. "Please, Kat? I'm cold and you're probably hotter than all of us." He pleaded, eyes wide and watery.

Kat's eyes widened and her heart rate quickened, face flushing with heat. Distantly, she could hear Genesis begin to laugh and could see Zack's face go bright red when he processed the words he had spoken.

"No! Not like that! I mean, you are, but I didn't mean it like that, I swear!"

She giggled and shook her head, allowing herself to be dragged into his side, face still flaming.

It was so hard not to get attached to him. He was just so damn cute.

xlx

"Kat."

She groaned, trying in earnest to get away from the voice and shaking.

She wanted to sleep. Did they not understand how deprived of it she was?

"Katelyn Nia Harmon, I suggest you wake up. _Now_." A voice hissed her in ear, breath tickling the back of her neck. Kat's eyes flew open, barely awake and alert when she was hauled to her feet.

It was dark. That was the first thing she noticed and it made her wake quicker, becoming more in tune with her surroundings.

The next thing that she noticed was that it was cold and eerily quiet, even with three people in the middle of a campsite.

She shook off the grip on her arm, straightening her messy appearance while eyeing her two companions. The red glow of Genesis' rapier lit his face, giving him a menacing look.

Kat sighed and crossed her arms over her chest, arching a brow. "So, what's the plan? Are we gonna use bait or are we just gonna trek up the mountain more to our certain death?" She questioned, glancing from Zack to her former mentor.

Zack looked up at _bait_, a worried look on his face. She had forgotten that he was still young and wasn't used to her ways. Genesis nodded at her, gaining her attention. "Bait. You're up, Kat." He answered with a knowing smirk.

Her face split into a wide grin, attitude becoming cheery and bright, inappropriate for a fight though she didn't care. As long as they thought she was fine, that her stomach was tied in knots at the thought of leaving the Third with her mentor.

She was sure he would look after Zack. But, he was less patient than she and if he got too involved in a fight..

It would turn into chaos very quickly and easily.

"Naturally, I'm the one that has to go and risk her life. Naturally." She shook her head mournfully and stepped backward, toward the cold fire pit. "I can tell when I'm not wanted."

Zack gave her an odd look but allowed himself to be ushered away by the auburn haired man, who hesitated a few feet away from. Something akin to concern contorted his slightly handsome features, eyes swivveling from the Third to Kat.

She chuckled, motioning for him to follow, and scowled when he didn't.

Of course he wouldn't. He never listened to her, not when she was his protégé begging for the training session to go on or when she was his equal forcing him into a fight.

Never. Not once.

"I'm fine. I've done this before, remember?" She informed him, crossing her legs at her ankles and arching a brow at him. He still didn't look convinced. Kat sighed and shook her head, wondering if she should be thrilled he was worried about her..

Or pissed because he didn't believe her abilities and skills of taking care of herself should she get in a fight.

Yeah.

She was going to go with being pissed. It was a lot stronger and spiked about her defenses more than being happy about something so trivial.

"Seriously. I'll be fine. I mean, I am Kat Harmon, SOLDIER First Class," she winked at him, trying not to show her anger, because then he'd egg her on..

And, suffice to say, she'd forget all about the damned monster.

Genesis gave her a final silent, disbelieving look before catching up with Zack. When both were out of sight and hearing range, Kat slouched, biting her lip anxiously. She could pretend all she wanted around Zack and Genesis and every other SOLDIER she came in contact with that she didn't care, that she didn't fear her friend's lives..

But, when she was alone?

There was no fooling herself.

Her life was replaceable. They'd move on, forget about the determined and beautiful - or so she'd like to think - woman that had tried to so hard to fit into their world.

Theirs, however, were not.

She had only known the boy for a few hours, but he was so adorable and so happy and energetic, she had never met anyone like him in all of her seventeen years. She'd die before he did, and that thought scared her.

Meanwhile, Kat had never known who was so obsessed with anything more than Genesis and LOVELESS. It was insane how much he loved that damned book. And, as much as he annoyed her and got under her skin all the time - this she would never admit, dead or alive - she'd be very upset if anything happened to him.

Not that she'd tell anyone that. Ever. Not even to save her life.

Moving her thoughts away from death and people she cared about dying, Kat unsheathed her katanas, ripping a part of her shirt off with the edge of one. It was not the proper material, nor did she have any polish, but it would have to do.

Soaking the cloth in her mouth*, she ran it over the already speck-less silver blade and slightly ruddied white blade. When she was done with them, counting on the monster not showing up for a few hours, they'd be as good as new.

Newer, perhaps.

Kat grinned at the thought, bringing the cloth back to her mouth.

xlx

Her legs were asleep.

Her feet were asleep.

She was nearly asleep, again, glaring groggily at the blurred forest. For the millionth time since she'd agreed - forced into - this assignment, she wondered why she was there.

It wasn't like she had a shirt that declared her love for Gongaga.

So, why the hell was she here, sitting on a tree stump in the middle of Gongaga's forest with not a soul nearby, waiting for a monster that may or may not come?

It made no sense.

Kat groaned sleepily, rubbing her forehead with an aching hand. Why had she agreed to being bait? Was it because she knew Genesis would take all the glory and kill the beast by himself, as stupid as it was, or that she was afraid he'd push Zack into it?

Either way, she had been stupid and selfless. Always trying to protect everyone, trying to be the `hero´ or so Genesis and Angeal had informed her every time she offered to bait the monster or enemy into a fight.

She wasn't trying to be the hero. She had no real desire to.

That was Sephiroth and Genesis' thing, being the hero. Not her. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to forget about her past.

That was all.

A crack a few yards away from her startled her into a more alert and awake state, scrambling to her prickling feet dangerously fast, her eyes sweeping along the forest's edge.

Something moved in the shadows, something large and dark and ominous.

Something that was heading her way quickly.

It was obviously heavy as twigs snapped and leaves rustled in it's wake.

Her breath caught, hitching in her throat and nearly suffocating her, as the creature sprung out from the forest, launching itself at her.

Kat swallowed the scream that bubbled up in her and dodged the claws, springing lightly and agilely out of the way, opening her mouth to call the others and -

She swore, most likely too loud and too violently, leaning back as the beast's jaws closed around where her arm had previously been.

Damn.

She couldn't remember what the sign was, the noise that would alert Genesis and Zack and most likely everyone in Gongaga that she was in trouble and needed help. This fight, that had been looking good at first, had just took a nasty turn.

Damn. Again.

Her katanas and dagger were six feet from where she'd been sitting. She hadn't believed that the monster actually existed, not after when she checked her cell phone's clock and saw that it was going onto three in the morning.

But, here it was. Trying to kill her.

And nearly succeeding.

Arching backward, foolishly exposing her unprotected stomach and nearly falling when the claws sliced her abdomen, she flipped backward several times, wincing as the muscles in her stomach were worked vigorouslousy. That had been a stupid thing to do.

Just to get near her blades.

As if that would give her a better chance of surviving. It would just look pitiful once they found her body in the morning or whenever Zack and Genesis came back.

She swore, again, just as loudly, and dropped to the ground in a crouch, collecting the pure white katana. The beast - a hellhound - watched her curiously for a moment before snarling and lunging at her, again.

Kat rolled out of the way, kicking at it's neck forcefully as she swung her blade up and down. It sliced through the skin, like a knife through butter..

For about a millisecond.

The hound cried out in pain, turning angered and hating eyes on her. Swearing without a care in the world, she pulled viciously at her blade, bracing her feet against it's side, but out of reach of it's mouth or tail or claws.

After two minutes of yanking at her katana, she huffed in defeat. It was stuck. Great. Probably lodged in a bone, getting all bloody and disgusting. Right after she cleaned it. Great.

All too suddenly, the hound dropped to the ground in a somewhat intelligent manner, pinning her legs beneath it's body and lodging the katana further. She didn't understand what it was doing, not at all.

But, she did understand that it would likely end up being bad for her and most likely life threatening.

Damn.

Why did she have to be so cocky and sure of herself? It would literally be the death of her. If she had asked Genesis to stay, or even Zack, they would've and she wouldn't be in this position.

"Get off me, you pain in the ass!" Kat growled, struggling under it's hold until something cold and incredibly sharp slice against her calf. The katana.

Pain rippled through her and she pressed her quivering lips together to keep from making a noise. She was stupid and cocky. It was going to look up at her any second now and she'd be as dead as doornail.

Because she wanted to prove a point.

Gaia, was she stupid!

As it was, it did turn it's head, glaring at her with wild eyes. Slowly, the hound drew itself up, jaws snapping at her warningly. Her world spun and her stomach rolled sickly, tank top clinging to her slick with blood skin. In the back of her mind, she knew she had lost too much blood.

But, now, in the present, the only thing she cared about was coming out of this fight alive. She'd do it if it was the last thing she ever did, and it looked like it would be.

The hound crept up to her, foul breath blowing into her face. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to look her death in the face.

Powerful jaws clamped down on her right shoulder and shook painfully, muscles ripping and pulling as they worked to keep her in one fluid, living piece.

She didn't have the strength to hold in the scream nor the will power to stay conscious.

Her entire world went black and senseless as her blood-curdling scream pierced the still night air.

xlx

_The choice has been made,  
So sit back and fucking pray._

xlx

**So...? (:  
School tomorrow. Disgusting.  
But, fortunately (or is it unfortunately..?) it's a heat wave where I live, before we get our ass kicked by a hurricane (EARL! D:) and yeah.. School's an iffy subject still...  
Anyway, either way, I'll hopefully have an update by tomorrow night at the LATEST.  
Have faithh!**

**Revieww! Please, it cools the nights down. (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	5. Four: Control

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence.**

**Chapter fourr is heree and so is the HEAT! Damn. Excuse me while I go outside and get burnt to a crisp.  
Hope youu enjoy! (:**

**Four; Control.**

xlx

_Just when you think you're in control,  
Just when you think you've got a hold,  
Just when you get on a roll._

xlx

Pain.

Every single inch of her body was screaming in pain.

Something cool touched her flesh, but the only thing she could concentrate on was the blinding, searing, white-hot pain that drove every thought out of her head.

She didnt like this one bit. Before, it had been peaceful and relaxing, though she'd been terrified with the knowledge of how much blood she had lost. This was... Hot. Painful. Distracting and disturbing.

She hated it.

A soft material floated across her abdomen, which, Kat realized with a jolt and nearly came to, was bare. When had that happened? The last thing she could remember was getting the katana stuck in the damned hound's bone and it rolling over onto her legs.

Voices filtered in soon after her awareness came back, fuzzy and too loud for a moment before it settled out and became clear and soft.

She really hated it. She just wanted to stay unconscious for months and heal every bruise, wound and broken bone in her body.

That would take years, but she was okay with it.

Especially if it meant Kat wouldn't get yelled at by Genesis for being incredibly stupid and trying to take a hell hound on by herself.

Wasn't her fault.

"Why isn't she awake? Shouldn't she be waking up soon?"

"I don't know. Probably already is, and is just trying to scare us."

Kat grinned inwardly.

"She was _soaked_ with blood when we found her, though.. Could she be dead?"

If only..

Death would be better than the worried Zack and pissed Genesis.

"No. Kat's too stubborn to die that easily. Go and clean the damn sword, do something useful other than hovering."

Her.. sword..?

That was what made her come, reluctantly, into consciousness with a gasp and jerk, eyes flipping open. She swore as her vision blurred and attempted to get to her feet. No one touched her katanas beside her.

Something pinned her down, pressing her good shoulder into the hard and damp ground. Instinctively, Kat struggled against her aggressor, not looking to see who or what held her. Her gaze was dead set on the white katana that was coated with a thin layer of blood.

The hound's and her own.

Her stomach churned nauseatingly.

"She's awake."

Of course, _he'd_ hold her down. No one else.

She turned her eyes away from her precious blade to glare up at her former mentor, eyes narrowed in accusation. He glared back at her, nails digging into her shoulder. Kat didn't notice, though, seeing as her entire body was on fire from pain.

She might've passed out, but she knew she hadn't lost enough blood to make her unstable on her feet. She was a SOLDIER 1st Class, after all.

"Zack," Kat called, not once breaking the glaring match between she and Genesis. "Leave it. I'll clean it once I _get up_."

Struggling once again, she growled dangerously when his other hand pushed down on her ribs. Her bare ribs.

With a quiet gasp, her struggling ceased suddenly, eyes widening in shock. His eyes were still narrowed and didn't even seem to notice the slightly intimate touch.

Her face was beet red.

"You've lost a lot of blood, Kat."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Not that much. I'm still alive and kickin', aren't I?" Kat groaned and tried to squirm her way out of his holds. She _really_ hated this. A lot. "Gaia, get off me, Genesis!"

With a dark look, he released her. She rolled quickly out of reach, pretending that it didn't nearly send her back into the warmth of unconsciousness, and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

Taking a deep breath and clenching her teeth, Kat glanced down at herself. She nearly threw up, again.

Her long shirt was ripped down the middle, from collar to hem, and the frayed edges were drenched crimson. Two long, thick and deep slices on her stomach still pumped blood furiously, the slash on her leg from her own katana still weeping crimson tears.

She didn't want to know the state of her shoulder. She could feel warm liquid pooling in her collar bone and that was enough for Kat to gag.

She was almost bleeding to death.

Because she forgot the warning signal.

Thanks to Genesis and Zack.

"That was a stupid thing to do, Katelyn." The older man informed her curtly as if she didn't know how stupid her actions had been. "You're too-"

Kat scoffed loudly, cutting him off, and narrowed her eyes at him in anger. "Too _what_? Too inexperienced? Too young? Too feminine? Too weak? Too cocky? Go on and tell me, Genesis." She hissed, scrambling to her feet.

"That's not what I meant. You just want to make me the bad guy and make yourself look good! You're just like Sephiroth, Katelyn."

She bristled, taking a step toward him. So, it was this, again? He thought she was trying to be a hero, trying to sacrifice her life selflessly.

Would he ever give it up?

"I don't want to be the hero," Kat growled, approaching him with the air of a predator stalking it's prey before the kill. "You know I don't. I'm glad I stayed behind because if I hadn't, you would've and you'd be dead right now."

Genesis glared at her, holding his own, though, not backing down when she continued to approach him. "Are you saying I'm weak?" He snapped.

She arched a brow. "Were you saying I'm weak?" She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest defensively and protectively, halting her advancing.

"I was saying that it seems that you try to be the hero and that you're stupid for going against it by yourself."

In her mind, that meant the same thing as being weak.

He didn't think she could've survived. She didn't think she could, either, but being her old mentor, she expected him to know her abilities more than it seemed he did. She had held her own in that fight, despite what her body said.

Genesis had been right; she was too stubborn to give up and die without a fight.

And she was too stubborn to let things go easily.

If he wanted a fight, he could have a fight.

"No. You're still saying I'm weak! You thought I was going to die, both of you! Admit it!" She cried, eyes darting to the closest weapon. Her dagger. It was at her hip, the sheath damp and heavy from blood, but still there.

"No."

There was a quiet, tense moment between the two whilst the Third looked on with wide eyes, and in a move as fast as lightning, she drew the knife, holding it inbetween them with an incredibly steady hand.

The man made no move to disarm her, eyes flickering from the dagger to her eyes. Kat was determined, heated emotions terrifying her.

Her patience had never been exceptional.

Neither had been her self control.

"C'mon, if you wanna see how weak I am, go ahead and fight me." She instructed.

He still made no move. Anger boiled her blood, nearly suffocating her, tossing all rational thought from her mind.

She didn't want to be the hero.

She wanted to be normal.

Kat swung at him, majority of her strength put into the punch. He grabbed her wrist, snatching her ankle when she tried to kick him instead. For a moment, she hobbled, swaying and jumping on one foot in attempts to gain her balance.

It was an awkward position, the worse she'd ever been in. She was hopping on her free foot, clutching his shoulder with the other, desperately trying to keep her balance.

Genesis lowered his head, soft hair brushing against her own soaked-with-sweat-and-blood locks, eyes boring into hers.

"You're right. I thought you were going to die. You scared the shit out of me, Kat," he murmured, breath stirring stray chocolate strands of her hair. Kat's breath caught and her heart raced from the proximity.

His eyes drifted, slowly and flickering to her own often, to her lips then quickly back to her own, azure darkened with something that had her panicking and heart racing faster and faster until she was expecting it to come bursting out of her chest.

Kat tried to remind herself that this was Genesis, the arrogant prick who was in love with LOVELESS, but with him so close and her heart beating so fast, her mind was muddled.

Not muddled enough, however, to impair her judgement.

When he leaned towards her, coming closer and closer still, until there was barely two inches that seperated their faces, she let go of his shoulder and leaned back, planting her free hand on the ground firmly.

Her torn shirt fluttered around her head and her face turned the exact shade of crimson that dripped down to the ground. Though her world was upside down, she still met Zack's eyes and rolled her own.

He had the decency to look away with a red face.

She had the indecency to snort at his innocent reaction and pull her wrist and ankle free, eyeing her mentor before marching to the Third's side with a smirk, whirling on both men.

"When are we leaving? I have a bone to pick with Lazard."

Zack blinked when Kat snorted when she got no answer from Genesis, who looked to be in some sort of pain. "I take it that means as soon as we get back to the helicopter. Alright." She nodded, more to herself than the others. "Let's get going!"

xlx

She was not weak.

She would not give up.

Even if she sorely wanted to.

Her glazed eyes flickered to the her male companions, narrowing in digust when they walked smoothly and flawlessly. Like Gods compared to her.

Kat was staggering, body screaming at her to stop and escape into sleep, where it was warm and loving and she wouldn't have to feel like she had been tossed around viciously and violently. Which she had been.

But, still.

She groaned aggrativingly, glaring at the two slightly innocent men. "I hate you." She informed them, wishing the statement was true.

Honestly, she was incredibly pleased it was her that was in this condition.

If it was Genesis, she and Zack would have likely ended up carrying him to the helicopter or he would've let himself bleed to death because he was trying to pretend he was fine.

If it was Zack, well... Zack would have likely died during the fight. If she was this beaten by the damned thing, she didn't want to think about the outcome if it had been the young man.

It was too gruesome for her liking.

"No, you don't." Genesis replied smugly, glancing over to her. Kat scowled back at him, looking away quickly. She hated him. She swore she did.

She especially hated the fluttery, knee-weakening feeling his proxmitiy had caused.

"Asshole. Shut up. Let me pretend I hate you for a bit. It'll explain why I risked my life for you two." She snapped, folding her arms as she stumbled over a stray pebble, her face glowing red - redder when she realised her top was still torn down the middle, giving the two men a view of her chest.

What did it say that she had _just_ noticed this?

Not anything good.

"You hate me?" Zack pouted a few feet ahead of her, waiting by the helicopter. She sighed and shook her head. How could she hate someone so adorable as him? Even if she resented this, because if she hated him it wouldn't hurt as much as if something happened to him.

Because something would. She knew it.

"Of course not. Genesis, get your ass in there before I do it for you."

He sent a look but complied, hesitating in the entryway. She scowled, approaching the craft and preparing to shove him.

He always had be so damn difficult, waiting for her when she didn't want him to and not waiting for her when she needed him to.

It was always one or the other.

He bent down, a smirk growing on his face when her scowl deepened. Of course, he had to play up the height difference, nearly doubling over. Kat wasn't _that_ short. She was perfectly average for a woman her age.

If she ever told him that, he'd call her old and she'd punch him.

She almost hoped he would. It would be a good excuse to hit him..

"What do you want, Rhapsodos?" Kat growled, trying in vain to push past him. Genesis wouldn't budge. She growled, again, a low and dangerous sound. "Move, would you? Gaia, I want to get on before it takes off!"

He moved, slightly, giving her barely enough room to suck in and squeeze through. Her body brushed against him and she could feel him stiffen. It would've been unnoticable if she hadn't been practically pressed up against him.

Suffice to say, he gave her more room, quickly finding his place behind the giddy-but-tired Zack. Kat sank down in the seat across from the Third, noting how her former mentor wouldn't meet her eyes.

She smirked wickedly before letting her own flutter shut, embracing the bliss of sleep with open arms.

xlx

_It starts out easy,  
Something simple,  
Something sleazy,  
Something inching past the edge of reserve._

xlx

**So..? (:  
I'm not sure what I think, besides I'm most likely about to die from heat stroke. No joke. It's the hottest it's been here in YEARS. Like, not two years.. Try three or four.  
It's too hot.  
Anyway, what did you think? (:  
Revieww! :D They keep me nice and cold during these blistering nights and boring days of school.**

**Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	6. Five: Looks

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for violence and language.**

**Here we go, chapter five! Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoyy! XD**

**Five: Looks.**

xlx

_She looks at me but then I look back at her,  
She turns away._

xlx

She huffed impatiently, glaring at the bubbling water as if it had personally assualted her. In her mind, it had.

It wasn't her fault. Honestly, it wasn't. Maybe Lazard should think about who he chose for a mission before he hauled them in and forced them into it. Maybe.

Then, he wouldn't have to worry about a pissed woman SOLDIER marching up into his office and slapping him so hard her hand stung.

Kat grinned at the memory, her hand still smarting from the blow. It was worth all the pain in the world to see the men's faces. Genesis and Zack had been shocked, having followed her to attempt to stop her from doing anything she'd regret later, and Angeal had been..

Well, Angeal had been as pissed as she.

That was why she was currently at her dorm, doing the dishes after having cooked all of them - Zack, Genesis, herself, Angeal and Sephiroth - supper. It was her punishment, one she couldn't quite understand.

How did this make her know slapping her higher ups was a `no-no´?

It didn't. That's how.

"Need help?"

Kat glanced over to the male figure, glaring at the white book in his hand. That should have been her punishment, Angeal should have made Genesis read LOVELESS to her for four hours straight. It would be a tense, angry and awkward punishment.

Something that would make her regret slapping Lazard.

"Go to hell."

Genesis blinked at her. She blinked back, holding his gaze for a moment before she dropped her eyes to the dishes, swearing when her finger was pricked on an abnormally sharp knife. It felt like a dagger. Who the hell ate with a dagger-knife?

Probably Sephiroth.

Or Angeal threw it in there to make her feel bad and bleed some more. As if she hadn't lost nearly all of her blood and wasn't still exhausted from the mission. Kat sighed, eyes flickering to where Genesis still stood.

What did he want?

"What do you want?"

He smirked and she rolled her eyes, dropping the plate without a second thought, not even remembering the nearly over-flowing water. It splashed up the front of her _white_ shirt, cold and soapy and indeniably _wet_.

Kat gasped, looking down at the dripping shirt with distaste and shock. How was it that she always ended up doing something incredibly stupid in front of him? Either it was forgetting about a torn shirt - which she had replaced for one of Angeal's - or soaking it, or doing something equally as stupid.

Her eyes moved up to his, wide with shock. He watched her curiously, almost examining her reactions.

Did he plan to do this or something?

Was this what he wanted? To piss her off and make her do something stupid just for a laugh?

Probably.

"Go to hell." Kat repeated, turning back to the dishes though she had no intention of doing them, thoughts turned to her cold shirt and how she'd fix it. She could go to her bedroom, but then Angeal and Zack and Sephiroth would see and there'd be questions and snide comments and..

She couldn't do that.

Tossing a glare at him, her fingers found the top button, proceeding to push the little button out and went down to work at the others.

A red-leather gloved hand caught her bare own, pulling her hand from the button-up the shirt. "What are you _doing_?" He asked, voice tense and sort of hoarse. Was she doing this to him?

Kat was no stranger to men, absolutely not, and knew how to have a man begging on his knees in heated moments of passion, but... She never expected this from the cocky Genesis, who never made a move on her or even acknowledged her short-lived crush on him.

It was not expected at all.

But, it was sort of entertaining.

"What do you _think_ I'm doing? I'm trying to get out of this damned thing!" She shook her head, her free hand travelling to the next button. Instead of watching her fingers progress and make sure she wasn't just picking at a string, she watched his face.

His eyes, considerably darker than their usual azure shade, followed her fingers. His expression was growing into something that she had seen on other men, something that her fingers fumbling with the buttons as her heart sped up to a nearly fatal rate.

Yes, she'd seen it on other men.

Before she slept with them.

Genesis looked up to her, eyes burning with an emotion that made her try to stumble back. She was his equal, was a 1st Class, and, at one point, was his protégé. She had to remember that and so did he.

When Kat had been fifteen, and had secretly dreamt of him looking at her like he was now, she knew it had been just that. A dream. Something that was likely never going to happen.

But, here it was..

She would have been thrilled if she was fifteen.

Now, she was scrambling to keep a hold on reality.

Kat was not fifteen anymore, she was seventeen. No longer a girl, very much a woman.

Genesis wasn't twenty anymore, nearly twenty-two now. There was no difference in his attitude in general, but when it was directed towards her..

It seemed like everything he did, he did to purposely get under her skin.

"Do you need me to help you? 'Cause it seems to me that you're having trouble," he murmured, taking a barely noticable step towards her.

Yes, she was having trouble.

Trouble with breathing, that was.

Her breath caught in her throat, eyes glued to his. Azure and azure. Mako-inhanced vision, beyond perfect, didn't miss a single thing. Which meant she didn't miss every emotion that flickered in his eyes and on his face.

She didn't miss a thing.

Kat chuckled nervously, creeping back with every step he took.

She knew her kitchen better than he, but he had the advantage of sight whilst she had the advantage of living there for two years. She knew where each wall, counter and flat surface was and carefully steered herself out of it's path.

"No, no. I'm fine. Honest."

If it had been any other man, she would have readily toyed with his emotions and self-control, easily teasing him and leading him on until he was crying for her.

But, this wasn't any other man.

This was Genesis Rhapsodos, SOLDIER First Class and her former mentor and friend - or so she'd like to think.

And, this was nearly going too far.

Where the hell was Angeal or Sephiroth, or, even, Zack?

Why was no one stopping this?

Why wasn't _she_ stopping this?

That was a very good question.

One she didn't have an answer to.

"Yeah, you are." Genesis agreed quietly. Kat's face flushed and she forgot momentiarly about the wall behind her. Her back pressed up against the cold surface, smooth paint ruffling her hair. He continued to advance, like a predator stalking it's prey.

She hated being the prey.

If he didn't back off soon, she couldn't be held responsible for her actions. She'd blame it all on survival instincts.

They - Genesis included - would have to understand then.

When his hand planted firmly above her hand, she struck out, palm cracking against his face. Kat winced as her hand began to pulse, smarting from the assualt.

Of course, she had used the same hand she slapped Lazard with.

Damn.

What was with these SOLDIER boys and their abnormally hard heads? It was just not fair to the women of the world when they deserved a good slap.

"What the hell?"

"_Katelyn Harmon_!"

"Uh..."

"What is going on here?"

Kat jumped at the two authorative voices, eyes darting to the scowling men in the door way. Zack stood between them, scratching his head and trying in earnest to look at her partially exposed chest. Second time in a day, she thought. This better not become a habit.

"Huh? Nothings going on, I swear," she answered Sephiroth's question first, ducking around Genesis with the grace of a natural fighter. "It wasn't me, Angeal. Honestly, and Genesis.." She shook her head, trailling off.

Any harm that came to his person from her was worth any punishment from her elders.

"Go get changed." The dark haired man ordered, trying, like the youngest boy, not to look at her attire. "_Now._"

Kat ducked her head, hair creating thick and dark curtains that framed her face and effectively hid her flaming face from view. "Yessir." She muttered, scampering pass the men and boy in the kitchen doorway.

"Maybe if she wore appropriate clothing, she wouldn't have these problems." Sephiroth growled when she passed.

His words only made her face grow hotter and glow redder.

Maybe she wouldn't.

But, then, maybe she wouldn't be _she_.

xlx

Kat groaned for the hundredth time, raking her hands through her sweaty hair violently, fingers curling in the chocolate locks tightly.

It was late, later than she usually stayed up, and though her body and mind could go weeks without sleep, she craved it desperately. She didn't need to sleep. She wanted to. She desired the warm embrace of unconsciousness.

Not this hell of waiting for it.

It was torture.

The thing that bothered her most was the fact that she just couldn't sleep. Hour ago, Kat had sent the men home and tried in earnest to fall asleep. Her covers were currently crinkled and more messy than they had ever been, pooling at her waist when she had pushed herself into a sitting position.

It wasn't hot, it was too cold, actually, and that made her even more confused as to why she was still awake. Usually, cold weather knocked her out.

All curled up in the thick and downy covers, with thick pajamas and a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, warming her to the core.

She had settled down with all of that.

Still, no sleep came and it was driving her mad. Insane, really.

Gaia, she hated this!

Grumbling to herself, Kat slid out of the bed, shuddering from the cold hardwood floor beneath her feet. She marched down the hall to the kitchen, grabbing the handle of her still steaming cup of coffee angrily.

The mug was scorching to the touch and the burning liquid scalded her throat, warming her entire body pleasantly. Her muscles loosened from the radiating heat, allowing sleep to sink into her previously rigid and tense body.

She smiled contentedly, eyes fluttering shut in bliss while she walked blindly to the living room, flopping down onto the couch with a soft groan.

Finally.

After hours of waiting for and trying to sleep, she could finally sleep.

Sleep made things final.

Sleep closed days.

And, with the way the day had been going, she would be more than happy to end this day on a good note.

Kat's eyes flashed open at the thought, heart beginning to race, and she cursed. This was why she refused to fall in love - not that she was in love. It would keep her up at night when she wanted to sleep _so_ badly.

She was no stranger to love and it's many forms.

But nothing said she would willingly give up her rights, her life, and what made her _Kat Harmon_ for a man.

No matter who he was or what he meant to her.

She was she and nothing would change that.

Especially not something so weakening and vulnerable as love.

Especially not that.

Kat swore, again. She was destined to stay awake all night with these damned thoughts with a still aching hand.

Great. Exactly how she wanted to end this day! It made her whole life complete and perfect!

Not.

xlx

_And I know, know, know,  
That she could care less about love,  
It's just for fun,  
I'm just another one._

xlx

**So..? (:  
I won't get the next chapter up in a few days, I think, because my power might go out any minute tomorrow. It'll hopefully be up by... Monday? :S  
Anyway, despite that, I hoped you enjoyed!  
Reviewww! XD  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	7. Six: Fair Fight

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the review.  
Note: This chapter is flashback/memory from when Kat was sixteen (or just about) and is put in to explain a bit more of what happened during the two years between the prologue and first chapter. **

**Here we go, chapter sixx... (: Hope you enjoy!**

**Six: Fair Fight.**

xlx

_It's alright, this could be a rough night.  
So, hold tight, this is not a fair fight._

xlx

Katelyn grinned up at the heartily laughing man, allowing him to pick her up and crush her small body to his. She had missed this. The sun, the warmth, the feeling of being loved.

The feeling of being home.

Gongaga was her home, Midgar wasn't and would likely never be.

"My little SOLDIER girl returns home for the perilous and horrendous disasters of Midgar!" Her father crowed, bringing both of them into the manor, a seemingly permanent grin on his face as well as hers.

Oh, Gaia, had she missed this..

Damien, her father, was a charming man and an ex-SOLDIER. He hadn't let the horror of war affect him, not that she or her mother knew of, and she wished to be like him one day. Strong, important, respected and loved.

He had it all.

A woman dressed in a thin red silk dress swooped in from the backyard, gray eyes sparkling with love and joy. "My daughter! Oh, I've missed you so much!" She cried, plucking Katelyn from her father's arms easily and wrapping her own around the younger woman.

Katelyn sank into her mother's embrace, inhaling the comforting floral fragrance that she always had. This was home.

This was her life.

She wouldn't lose it for anything and neither would her father.

Two SOLDIER could defend this family perfectly well, almost too well.

"They're still not giving you trouble about being a girl, are they, little sister?" Nathan Harmon, her brother, asked, entering the sitting room with his twin sister in tow. Both beamed at her and Lyndsay skipped merrily to Katelyn's side.

She shook her head at her brother. "Not that I know of. A lot of people say it's stupid, but, apparently I'm catching on as well as the boys, so.." she shrugged, trailing off. Nathan scowled, handsome face contorting. She shrugged again, helplessly.

It wasn't her fault if people despised ShinRa's allowing women into SOLDIER.

She hadn't decided it.

"What do they know!" Lyndsay snapped and wrapped a slender arm around her shoulders. "Kate is just as strong and brave as any of those rude and dirty boys!"

Katelyn smirked at her sister, who was still under the impression that boys were ill-mannered and immature although her brother was the same age as her and certainly not ill-mannered.

Their mother would not stand for it.

"Ah, Lyn, I missed you so much," she murmured, ruffling her neatly braided hair. Lyndsay shrieked, hands flying to fix the disarray. "Where's Joey, Mother?"

Her mother glanced to the couch, a soft smile replacing the estactic grin.

"Right here, Kate!" A young, higher pitched boy shouted, bounding over and ripping her hand from Lyndsay's. "Did you meet Sephiroth? Did you? Did you?"

She giggled and picked up the eight year old boy, holding him close to her body. She loved this little boy with all her heart. If anything happened to him while she was in Midgar.. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

The guilt would be too much.

"Yeah. He's pretty cool, I guess. My mentor's Genesis Rhapsodos. He's good, huh, Lyn?" Katelyn winked at her elder sister, who blushed a rosy pink colour.

This was the way it had been since they'd be little girls.

Lyndsay was the proper, decent and formal girl, always trying to be polite and correct and formal. Nauseatingly so.

While she was that, Katelyn was loud and brash and fell in love with someone or something too hard and too fast. Despite that, she lacked any concern of how her words affected people she didn't care for.

"Oh, hush."

She laughed and carried her younger brother to the backyard, not a care in the world.

She was on vacation.

She wasn't SOLDIER right now. She was Katelyn Harmon, only fifteen years old - nearly sixteen - and she was with her family.

That was all that mattered.

That was how her life should have been.

She knew it and so did the rest of her family.

xlx

"Do you like it much?"

Katelyn looked up at her mother from the forest floor, having gone for a walk with her and Joey, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Huh?"

Her mother sighed, stroking her daughter's hair lovingly and with a mother's patience. Katelyn sighed into the comforting touch, eyes darting back to the trees where Joey watched a squirrel. "Do you like SOLDIER much?"

Caught off guard by the question, she looked away from her brother, to her mother's brightly honest and open eyes. Not a secret between the two. Her mother would understand that, although she was thrilled to be home, she secretly wished she was back at ShinRa.

With Genesis.

Her face flushed at even the mere thought of his name. "I suppose. It's a lot of killing and blood," she answered after a moment's silence. "Nothing for you or Lyndsay. You have to hide it or else they'll call you weak or something."

It was true.

She could not show weakness nor queasiness in front of anyone, or else they'd assume she was too fragile for SOLDIER and send her back home.

It was her dream to be there. She'd do anything to make it a reality.

"Momma? Kate?"

Both women looked up at the little boy's frantic and frightened voice. Immediately, Katelyn got to her feet, holding her arms out for the boy. He ran to her, huddling into her, shaking violently. She scowled.

What was out there?

She prayed it was just a wolf or a bear. They posed no real threat to her..

But to her mother and Joey, they would.

She swore, giving her mother an apologetic look.

"Katelyn Harmon?" A voice shouted, the person hidden by the thick forest. Katelyn squinted through the foliage and blending sea of tree trunks, still finding no one. Not for the first time, she wished she was in First and had the enhanced vision that came with it.

"Yes?" She called back icily, shooting her mother and Joey a silencing look. If this person wanted her, they could have her.

There was no way she'd go down with a fight.

"Quit SOLDIER." They instructed.

She scoffed, unconsciously tightening her grasp on Joey until he winced. She let him go, ushering him to their mother. "No way in hell." She answered back, voice firm and stern, letting them know she was up to a fight if they wanted one.

"Do it, or you'll be dearly sorry."

Katelyn laughed now, she couldn't help it.

It was so pathetic and lame. Trying to scare her out of her dream? Hah! She was stronger and smarter than that!

"You'll be sorry if you do anything to make _me_ sorry." She retorted to the invisible tormentor. Was this a dream or real, she wondered? "Show yourself and fight like man!"

As if they had been waiting for this since they arrived, her previously invisible tormentor dropped from a grand oak, arrow fitted into a beautifully crafted bow. He was older than her, but only by a few years, and had the air of a man who was used to blood and death.

Who wasn't afraid of killing someone.

Just like her.

She was thankful that she had a dagger on her, hidden by the thick 2nd Class uniform. It was nearly invisible. They would have to know her personally and have to be from SOLDIER to know about it.

There was no way this man would know.

"You're just a little girl, trying to be something you're not," he snarled at her. Katelyn's hand clenched around the hilt of her dagger, fingers digging into the hard leather. This again?

When would these damned people give it up?

She fought harder than any of the men and boys to stay in SOLDIER.

She could take on her mentor without trouble, for the love of Gaia!

"You're just a small-minded prick, trying to scare me. It's not going to work." She informed him, drawing the long knife from the sheath at her hip. "Let's fight. See whose trying to be something they're not."

The man sneered at her, drawing back the taut bowstring. The bow curved as it's string was tugged back, informing her that, although it was beautiful, it was not strong. Possibly just a cheap bow he'd bought for one use.

But, he knew how to use it. That mattered more than it's strength or price. He could force his strength out of it and that scared Katelyn more than anything.

Just when he was fixing his aim, she brought the hand that held her dagger up, watching in the corner of her eyes the expressions flickering on her mother's and Joey's faces. Her brother was afraid, and so was her mother, but there was something else there.

Something that made her feel warm and proud.

They were sure of her. They knew she'd do anything to keep them alive.

Or die trying.

She tossed the dagger just as the man loosed his arrow.

She hadn't seen his aim.

She couldn't have known, was too busy trying to perfect her own. If it hit him, he'd die instantaneously.

Her mother, brother and she would be safe.

Katelyn could try to persuade all of them to move to Midgar so she could keep an eye on them.

She'd do anything to keep them alive or die trying.

The arrow split through the air, whistling softly, just as the dagger spun and flipped in the air, intent on killing it's owner's foe.

Katelyn hadn't expected for the arrow to completely bypass her, it's head burying in the red silk of her mother's dress. Her mother gasped, looking down at the arrow that had gone straight through her shoulder, tearing open her dress.

Katelyn gagged, eyes wide as a volley of arrows assaulted her brother and mother, the stench of blood clogging her nose. She barely heard the man's grunt when her dagger sunk into his flesh, could barely hear her own breathing.

But, she could hear her mother's and Joey's.

Each breath they took was laboured, chest rising and falling unevenly. Her brother wept, his tears mingling with his blood, and her mother tried to console him, tried to pluck the shafts from his body.

Katelyn dropped to her knees besides her family, staring with wide and glazed eyes. She shouldn't truly believe that the sight before her was real, couldn't truly believe that she killed someone and that they had tried to kill her mother and brother.

She couldn't believe anything at that moment.

"No, no, no," she chanted under her breath, ripping the arrows from her mother's flesh and torn dress, that was slowly turning a crimson shade of red. Her mother winced as she did so, both women knowing that any attempts were futile.

Her life was bleeding out of her at dangerous amounts.

It was over but Katelyn refused to just sit there and do nothing.

If there was anything she was, she was stubborn as hell.

"Katelyn, angel," her mother murmured and placed a hand on hers, stilling their frantic and futile pulling. "I'll be fine. Tend to Joey."

Numbly, Katelyn nodded, crawling to her brother.

His tears and blood soaked the ground around him. Her eyes welled with tears, as well, throat clenching painfully.

"I wish I could meet Sephiroth," he had said once, before she had joined SOLDIER. He'd only been six, but he idolized the man like Genesis loved LOVELESS. To the point where it was unhealthy.

She wished he could have met Sephiroth, too.

She would do anything to make his dream a reality.

"Would he like me, Kate?" Joey rasped, blood colouring his teeth and streaming down his young face. Her breath caught and a broken sob-laugh came through her lips, tears now flowing down her face and mixing with his bloodied face.

Katelyn didn't have to ask who _he_ was.

"Of course. Who wouldn't like you, Joe?" She muttered, shaking her head good-naturedly and trying her best to grin. "I'm so sorry you couldn't have met him.."

His eyes, glazing over for a moment before he blinked, turned to her, bright and innocent. "Tell me about him, sissy," he instructed, voice hoarse and thick with blood.

She wracked her brain, eyes darting to her mother, who was watching them with a soft expression. She didn't know how she was still alive, unless she was forcing herself to. Just to see her.

Katelyn couldn't stand this waiting, this heart break.

She wanted nothing more than to get up and leave them, but she couldn't. She wouldn't even try.

They were the ones she loved the most.

She'd be damned if she left them when they needed her.

"Alright. Well, he can a bit mean and cold at times, but he usually has a good reason to. I don't really know him other than that he's my mentor's friend, and I barely see him. But, he seems like a good guy." She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue at her brother. "Reminds me of you. Stubborn and protective and strong." Her voice broke and breath hitched. "Oh, Gaia, Joe, you're so damn strong! Why is this you? You're only eight!"

Joey laughed weakly, having to turn and cough up a scary amount of blood afterward.

Her heart was breaking.

Her heart was freezing over.

She hated this.

She wanted it to end.

"I have always loved you," Katelyn reminded him, stroking back his dark looks. "Never forget that, little brother."

Blood gurgled out of his mouth, chest rising once and body spasming for a split second before he went still. Completely still.

Her breath caught, hitching in her throat painfully and she couldn't breathe at all.

She didn't want it to end.

She wanted her brother, alive and happy.

Hoping for the best, but knowing the worst, Katelyn glanced to her mother. Her eyes were shut, a wide loving smile on her face. How had she not noticed? How had she been so careless?

She thought he meant her life, not theirs!

She would gladly take their place if it meant they'd be alive. She didn't care, not anymore.

This was because of love.

This horrible, gut-wrenching, deadly and heart-breaking feeling was a result of love.

She had lost the ones she loved because she had been too stupid to think the man would use her family against her.

That was that.

Love to Katelyn was now a lost cause, especially if it was going to hurt this much.

What was the point?

Several hundred or thousand happy moments..

Compared to one of utter pain that made you regret it all, made you wish that you hadn't been so close, thinking that if you hadn't been, then maybe, just maybe, it wouldn't hurt as much as it did?

There was no point.

She was not a masochist.

Katelyn didn't enjoy pain.

And, now, she most certainly did not enjoy love.

She would have done anything to keep them alive.

Even die for them.

She never got that option.

She wished with everything in her that she had. She would've laid down her life for Joey and her mother in an instant, would've gone to hell and back to ensure their safety.

She never got a chance.

xlx

Katelyn - or, now Kat, as all of her other names reminded her of people that no longer lived, no longer called her by that - Harmon never got what she wanted.

Not her pony she wanted when she was five.

Not her sword she wanted when she was nine.

Not her bow she wanted when she was eleven.

Not her bike she wanted when she was fourteen.

And, she never got what she wanted so desperately she'd die for.

Her family.

No. She never got what she wanted.

That had always been Lyndsay.

xlx

_She up and died and left you in a fall you could not forget,  
You were too young, you said,  
"Not yet, not yet, not yet."_

xlx

**So..?  
What did you think?  
I would have had this out earlier but that hurricane Earl hit a few hours ago here and I spent most of the time standing outside and staring at trees. :o  
Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed!  
Reviewww! (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	8. Seven: Breathing

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the reviews and alerts.**

**Here we are! Back to the present time line, with all of them. Chapter seven. :D Hope you enjoy! (:**

**Seven; Breathing.**

xlx

_And this is how I break apart when I finally hit the ground,  
And this is how it hurts when I pretend I don't feel any pain._

xlx

Wind whipped her hair violently, tossing locks into her field of vision. She scowled and shoved them back behind her ear, tossing a dark look to the dark-haired man and boy.

It was Tuesday and there was nothing to do. No missions, she wasn't allowed out of the building - without an _adult_- and she was nearly stuck listening to Genesis go on and on about LOVELESS. Angeal and Zack had appeared, the boy having been looking for her, and she nearly kissed them both.

Anything, even sitting in silence while the boys ranted about the advantages of different swords and bows, was better than listening to Genesis talk about anything in general. Kat swore he only said certain things to get a rise out of her.

Not that it didn't work.

His mere presence had her in a bad mood.

"..in example, if Genesis and Kat got into a fight-," Angeal shot her a look and she grinned cheekily back at him. "-and if Kat only had one of her katanas and no dagger, not even the hidden ones we all know she has, then she would lose to him, it's all about strategy-"

Here she stopped listening, scowling angrily at him despite her vibrantly red face. She hadn't thought anyone knew about her hidden daggers, which she had in numerous spots that she was only allowed to extract them from.

Such as... down her shirt at this current moment, blade flush against her body and tucked inside her bra.

Yes, that would be awkward if someone did a strip-search. She had at least five weapons on her person at a time, or, if she was on a mission and needed to have less restricted movements, only three.

Still.

Also, the mention of her losing to _Genesis_ only boiled her blood. He had probably made him say that, just to piss her off because everyone knew she hated losing. Especially to him, now.

"Hey, hey, hey," she interrupted the young Third, still scowling at her fellow First. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you trying to say that he," Kat jerked her head at the smirking redhead, "is smarter and more strategical in battle than I?"

Zack watched her and Angeal with curious and slightly amused violet-blue eyes, but she paid him no mind. She was insulted by this assumption.

Of course, she wasn't exactly careful during fights, but she got the job done, didn't she? She lived, didn't she?

That was what should have mattered.

Kat liked to think on her feet, use her reflexes, knowledge and instincts as her guide rather than sit down and plot. That just seemed low and dirty to her.

"I'm saying you are a more... offensive fighter rather than a defensive fighter." He answered after a moment of speculation and thinking. She narrowed her eyes, processing his words. Offensive..

She was an aggressive fighter, yes, not really taking the time to think about the consequences of an action or fight until it was too late or trying to defend herself at all. But, Kat always been under the impression that she was strong enough to handle what ever was thrown at her.

Especially fights.

Accepting his answer, she shrugged, leaning back into the couch and resuming her blank stare at the three boys/men.

Oh, yes.

This was an exciting day.

No sarcasm.

She rolled her eyes to herself, wishing that she at least had a book to read or a weapon to clean. The dagger in her bra was likely perspiring, but there was no way she'd take it out in front of these men.

No way she'd take it out in front of Sir Stares-A-Lot.

At least he had a book, Kat grumbled inwardly, shifting in her seat. Even if it _was_ LOVELESS.

Not that she'd ever read the damn thing. She already knew it by heart.

"Don't mind her, 'Geal, she's just jealous of my brains _and _beauty." Genesis explained, giving her a sly look.

Kat scoffed, folding her arms over her chest and nodding her head. "Oh, yeah, that's it. Totally," she muttered under her breath, sarcasm lacing her words. Zack chuckled by Angeal's side and she smirked at him. "See? Zack agrees with me. No beauty or brains there. Sorry, Genesis."

The Third's jaw dropped and face went redder than her own had been minutes earlier when Genesis turned on him, glaring coldly. "N-no, sir! You're smart and -," his face grew redder and she cackled humorously.

"Awh, he has a crush!" She teased ruthlessly, arching a brow when Zack glared weakly at her. "Genesis has a -!"

Her cell phone's vibration and sharp, shrill ringing cut her off, much to the thanks of the men in the room and to the annoyance of the woman. Kat pulled it out of the front her shirt, gathering looks from the others, and arched a brow before answering the shrieking mobile.

"What?"

Zack's face was an interesting shade of red. He looked like he was suffocating, even though his shoulders rose and fell softly with each breath he took.

Interesting.

"Kat-."

Her phone let out another high-pitched ring and she groaned exasperatedly though hopefully. It could always be Sephiroth, offering to take her out on a mission or a coffee run or anything with him, or Lazard with an assignment for her.

Anything would be better than this boredom.

Flipping open the phone, she brought it to her ear and got to her feet, wandering off away from the others out of habit. "It's Kat." She announced to the caller.

It was quiet for a moment, no one on either end of the line talking, breathing filtering down to her. She scowled. Great, was this some sort of prank call or something? Once she found out who it was, they were _so_-

"Kat?"

Oh. Her scowl softened to a worried frown. "Nathan? What's going on? Are you okay?" She fired off, not even giving him time to answer one question before she asked the other. She could feel their eyes on her, but she didn't quite care.

Her brother rarely called her, and if he did, he would call Lazard or even Shinra. Not her own personal cell phone.

What was going on?

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I guess.." he mumbled, not really giving her a clear yes-or-no answer. Kat bit her lip anxiously, waiting for him to continue. "It's about Mother and Joey.."

Her heart raced, head beginning to pound with the intensity of it, throat suddenly dry.

No.

They were dead.

She had seen them die, had been there and hadn't done a thing. Why was he bringing this up? Was he in league with Genesis? It was low, even for him.

No.

She didn't want to talk about this, especially not with one of the men that blamed her for it. She couldn't say that she blamed them, though, and that was probably why she hated the subject with a passion.

It reminded her how much she had loved her mother and Joey, and how she hadn't been able to save them. How she was too weak to save those she loved.

Another reason not to love anyone ever again.

Too much pain, too much heart-break.

Her thumb skimmed over the END button, seriously contemplating just hanging up on her brother.

"Don't say their names to me, Nathan." Kat growled at him, fingers clenching around the phone angrily. "Don't you _ever_ say their names to me!"

Distantly, she could hear her companions' voices, hear them talk about her and how they should leave.

She didn't want them to. She needed them to be there. If they were there, she would be able to remind herself that it had been a year, that she was here and not _there_. They kept her away from the demons of her past.

"No, Kate-,"

Kat cut him off with a sharp, low growl. "My name is _Kat_. Not Kate or Katelyn."

"Okay. Kat, there's something you need to know," Nathan informed her, a note of urgency and desperation in his voice. She didn't care. She was desperate to get off the phone, desperate to forget this ever happened.

Just like she did with everything that made her think of her past.

Just like she did with her family.

"Save it. Tell Damien or Lyndsay. They'll help you." She snapped, hanging up on him and cutting him off.

Her heart was pounding and she was holding back tears of guilt - not tears of anger or frustration or sadness. Slowly, Kat turned, sliding the cell phone into her pocket, eyes flickering to the two men.

They had seen her cry before, when she came back to her new home after her mother and Joey died she hadn't been able to hold it in any longer. They had brought her straight to the lounge, saying that if anyone valued their life they wouldn't enter.

No one had entered the lounge once that day.

She smiled weakly, lips quivering with the promise of tears. The taller man held out his arms and she nearly broke, then and there. Kat ran to him, not even slowing, slamming into his chest with a _thud_.

Voices murmured and then the door opened, a boy's voice yelling the exact same words Genesis had said a year ago.

The irony of it all made her laugh wetly, tears beginning to stream down her face in a seemingly never-ending river.

Kat hated herself for being weak, for succumbing to tears and regrets and guilt when the others didn't. But, there was only so much you could take before you broke.

She didn't want to break like that, into so many pieces that it was nearly impossible to put back together. Like a priceless vase shattered. You could never get it to be the exact same way.

She didn't even try to struggle when black was replaced with red, when the smell of blood and sweat and laundry detergent was changed to the scent of leather and Banora whites.

It was comfort and it was all the same to her.

Even when the comfort was laced with hints of love.

xlx**NATHAN**xlx

His chest heaved, eyes glaring at the man ahead of him while he snapped his phone shut. She just didn't get it, did she? She didn't understand how much he needed her?

Not Lyndsay, who, even he had to admit, was becoming a slut.

Not their father, who was a ghost of the proud man he had once been.

He, Nathan, needed her.

"She doesn't care about you."

No.

That was a lie, he reminded herself. Kat was just hurting. She felt betrayed by them and he couldn't blame her. He'd feel betrayed if his family blamed him for the death of their mother Dani and brother Joey.

"She left you here for dead. She knew I was here and she didn't try to protect you."

Nathan's glare strengthened, hands clenching around the short swords. These were lies this man was spewing.

He had killed Dani and Joey. Why should he listen to him?

Why had she hung up on him?

He was only trying to help! He was only trying to be her big brother!

He loved her and she thought he didn't.

Nathan prayed to the Goddess that this wasn't his last day, that that hadn't been his last conversation with his baby sister. He needed to tell her about this man, to tell her he never blamed her, not once.

She was his baby sister.

There was no one he loved or cared about more.

"Kat wouldn't do that. Shut up." He ordered, feeling his body begin to sing with the promise of a fight. This must be why their father and his sister loved SOLDIER. It felt good to fight, to do something that made you proud and happy and safe.

Incredibly safe and sure of your abilities to stay so.

"Dear boy, do you even know your sister anymore?" The man chuckled carelessly.

Nathan's grip went slack for a moment.

_Did _he know his sister?

She had changed so much in those two years she had been away, regardless if she knew or not. Yes, Kat had grown taller and looked more like a woman than a girl, but it wasn't only that.

Before SOLDIER, she had been loud and brash and thoughtless, not giving a damn about peoples feelings. Afterward, she had still been as noisy and ruthless, but more secluded, secretive. She had found out the hard way that life was not all rainbows and lollipops.

That changed people, he knew that.

It was in the way she held herself. Back straight, head up and eyes wary. Confidence and awareness had leaked from her that day a year ago. She had known who she was and what she was and was proud of it.

He had never been so proud of anyone in his life.

And he had never told her.

The man used his lapse in his guard to his advantage, an arrow whipping through and plunging into his shoulder, the head coming out the other end.

Nathan gasped in pain, more pain flooding him with the action. So, this was what it was like to be die.

It hurt. He didn't like it.

"You know too much, boy." The man snarled just as a feminine figure came from the house nearby. Nathan knew that girl very well, her betrayal affecting him as much as this fatal wound.

He couldn't believe it.

He didn't want to.

How could she do that to him?

She smirked down at him, pointed boot toe nudging the arrow into a painful position, resting the sole lightly against the butt of it.

His eyes narrowed angrily at her. "How could you?" He rasped, not caring about the pain or the ache or anything in that moment. It would be over soon enough anyway, he knew that for sure.

She had always been merciless. There was no point to beg.

"See you," she grinned, not answering his question, and applied more weight to the arrow. It sank deeper, deeper, warm and thick blood pulsing from the wound quickly. Too quickly for his liking.

But, it would be over soon.

Very soon.

With a cough and a final jerk of his body while he inhaled his last breath, his vision went an empty, emotionless black for a moment before it was replaced by the sky. The beautiful cloudless sky.

His mother grinned at him from in front of him, holding his little brother's hand. Joey laughed, not quite understanding why his brother was there most likely, and held out a hand.

Nathan's eyes flickered to his mother's, seeing the regret and indescribable sadness and guilty happiness in them. She didn't want him there. Not in the way that she hated him and didn't want him there to bother her. In the way she didn't want him there because it meant he was dead and she would never want him dead.

But, there's somethings in life you just can't change or control.

"C'mon, Nate! Gran's here! She said she'll have cookies for me today, you can have some, too! And Gramps, he knew Sephiroth! He has all of these amazing tales and-"

Slowly, with the wariness of a twenty year old who had seen much and not trusted enough, he took his brother's hand, pushing himself to his feet.

He wished that he had been able to tell Kat how much he loved her and how proud he was of her. He wished he could tell her about the man and his accomplice.

But, she was hurt and broken and betrayed. She wouldn't listen to him no matter how badly he wished he would.

"Good to see you, Mother, Joey," he murmured, smiling at the worried blond woman. She knew what he meant by that, the hidden meaning that he barely admitted to himself.

It would have been even better to see Kat.

xlx**KAT**xlx

She sighed, eyeing her cell phone with a particular dislike.

Angeal had left, Zack following him closely, leaving Genesis with her. He glanced up to her from the white book. Kat wondered if he ever got tired of reading the same thing. She imagined it would get very boring.

"You know you're going to call him," he stated. She glared at him, scowling. She hated how he knew her so well, after only four years of being partners.

"You know you're going to get your ass kicked next time we're training."

He snorted and flipped a page, returning to the damned thing. Kat groaned, but flipped open the phone, dialing the all too familiar number with practised fingers and brought it to her ear.

She was met with the dial tone.

Frowning, she hung up, redialing quickly, trying not to think the worse.

Each time she called her brother's cell phone, she got the dial tone.

Each time she got the dial tone, she realized more and more.

But she refused to believe it.

No.

It couldn't be true.

It just couldn't.

Her eyes skipped over to the other azure pair, wishing it was olive green she was seeing and not Mako blue. Genesis was watching her, hints of worry on his features.

He knew and so did she.

The only difference was that she didn't believe it and he did.

Kat shook her head, dialing her old house phone. After two rings, someone picked up. "Hullo?"

She bit her lip. Damien. He had to know. He just had to. Pushing away her deep hatred for the man, focusing on her fears for her brother, she sighed. "Hi. Is Nathan there?" She asked, as polite and formal as she could be.

Damien swore and there was the slamming of a door. When he returned to the phone, he was breathing heavily. "This is Kat, correct?" He asked, and for a moment he sounded like had when she was fifteen and home.

Proud and loving.

It only spiked her panic to new levels. "Yeah, it's Kat."

He swore again, violently and loudly. She knew where she got that habit from now, she thought with an inward chuckle. "Kit-Kat, I - wait, are you sitting?" He asked suddenly.

Kat frowned and collapsed into the sofa, not meeting the other man's curious gaze. "Am now. What's going on? I can't reach Nathan," she stated anxiously, praying to anything or anyone that it wasn't what she thought.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

That was all he had to say.

Her vision blurred before her, threat clenching. No. No. This wasn't happening, not again! "No. He can't be. You're lying!" She shrieked, unable to control herself, unable to care enough to do so.

"I'm not, Kit-Kat. Nathan was killed-"

She hung up, cutting him off.

No.

Not again.

She had opened herself up to the pain and hurt that came along with loving someone in any way. Even if she swore she hated them all, she knew she couldn't. They were her family.

And they were nearly all dead because of that one reason.

"I'm sorry, Kat."

Kat looked over to Genesis, eyes narrowing in confusion. She hadn't remembered a moment ago why she was still in Midgar, not in Gongaga and not protecting the people she loved. But, when she heard him and saw him, she remembered.

These were people that had become her second family.

They needed her protection just as much as her father and sister did.

"So am I."

xlx

_And this how it feels when I ignore the words you spoke to me,  
And this is where I lose myself when I keep running from you._

xlx

**So...? (:  
What did you think?  
I quite liked Nathan's part. Fun character to write. (:  
Well, revieww! XD  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	9. Eight: Love, Lust and Hate

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the review/s and alert/s.**

**Alrighty, chapter eight! Getting closer to ten and I'm trying to pick up the pace, a bit, or else I could get to fifty and the plot still wouldn't be in place. Just a load of fluff.  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyy! :D**

**Eight; Love, Lust and Hate.**

xlx

_She fucking hates me  
And I love it._

xlx

"I hate you."

He gave Kat a look, putting down the damned book.

It had been only a few hours since she had called her father and she had reverted back to old self, before she had found out about Nathan. It was easier that way if they thought she could handle the death maturely instead of sitting in a corner and crying.

So, she had begun to torment Genesis every single time he picked up LOVELESS, disrupting his reading by making him look at her.

"That's not what you said two hours ago." He said, smirking at her smugly. Her face went tomato red and she ground her teeth together. It wasn't her fault. She was terrified of being alone, had threatened that either he'd stay or she'd follow him back to his rooms.

Of course, he had quickly agreed on the first without any teasing or sarcasm or anything.

Or, he would have. If it had been a perfect world. Which it wasn't.

He had agreed with her following him back, but she had slammed on the brakes and used effective blackmail to sway him.

Two hours later, here they were. Annoyed, tired and pissed at each other while trying to get under their skin. He was as good at it as she, though getting at her in different ways.

Ways that had her face red and heart pounding from their meaning.

"Yes, it was," Kat snapped at him, rolling her eyes in aggravation. "Well, I never said I love you. So, the hate part was already there."

Genesis gave her another look. "If you hate me so much, then why did you beg me to stay?" He retorted, just as cruel as she knew he was capable of being. He knew why. She knew why and she really didn't want to say it.

She didn't, just a rose a brow in question and shook her head, turning away from him with a huff of boredom. It was very late, but she couldn't get to sleep. Not with him there and not with the knowledge in her head, swirling and unable to calm itself.

Someone was targeting her family, still trying to make her quit SOLDIER, even though she was a respected First. Her father or sister was next and she wanted them in Midgar as soon as possible or her in Gongaga until this settled down.

But, there was no way she was going to back down and quit her dream. No way in hell.

"Fine. You win this round, Rhapsodos," she grumbled, backing down for now. She was tired and worried, wanting nothing more than to go to sleep and forget this day ever happened. But, she couldn't.

And it was killing her. Slowly.

Like sitting here with Genesis and LOVELESS was slowly making her want to die. No, not slowly. Very quickly. After an hour of silence, she nearly sent him away. She would have, too, if she hadn't been so afraid of him not coming back.

He smirked. "And every other round."

Kat glared at him, though he didn't seem to care much.

Damn him and damn LOVELESS.

After several minutes - twenty, to be precise - Kat was positive of her theory. Someone was targeting her family. She turned to the older man, frowning with this new found information, expecting to have to draw him away from his book and found he was watching her.

Her frown deepened to a scowl, brows knitting together. Was there something on her face or something? Why was he looking at her so intently like that? "What?" She asked, sharper and bitterly than intended.

He shook his head, but was silent, waiting for her to go on. Kat shrugged to herself, shifting slightly. "I was thinking - _don't say a word_- and I realized something," she began, biting her lip anxiously. "Alright. When I was sixteen, or just a month or so younger, my mother and brother were targeted. I was with them, as you know, and no harm came to me, which I found stupid since I was the one they wanted, I think."

She shook her head, clearing herself of the confusing thought. "Anyway, then my brother was killed by somebody. Not randomly died or got in accident. Murder," Kat took a deep breath, realizing she had gained Genesis' full attention with a jolt. "I was thinking that maybe, and this may sound really crazy, but.. Maybe my family is being targeted? Like, blackmailing or kidnapping or something.

"They may just be trying to get me all freaked out, though, and think this way. They know I'll try to get Damien and Lyndsay here or go to them. It could very well be a trap," she murmured, more to herself than to her superior. She hadn't thought of that before.

But, she couldn't just sit there and be pretty and safe in Midgar while her family was slaughtered. Not that Damien would go down with a fight. She had gotten her stubborn nature from him, after all.

"Oh, Gaia, Genesis. I don't what to think anymore," Kat said softly, glancing up to the azure eyes. Everything was so much more confusing than it had been before she went to Gongaga. Thing had been finally going back to normal and then she left and now it was all..

Confusing.

Disorientating.

Odd.

Befuddling.

Any word would fit, really.

"Go to sleep, Kat. You've been through so much today and you woke up too early today. You have to be exhausted," he instructed, placing a hand on her shoulder. He was right. She was exhausted, but she couldn't get to sleep, not with all of this buzzing in her mind.

That was it!

Her family was being targeted in a blackmail fashion and they - the killer - had to have someone in the house, or someone following her, to have known she was going back to Gongaga and when she had left.

Or the killer was here or back in Gongaga.

Either way, if she went back, it would be potentionally fatal.

This was beginning to be too much. Even though that was the honest truth, she would never regret staying in SOLDIER. Not once.

This was her old dream and she'd be damned if she let anything stop her.

xlx

She groaned, light filtering through some damned window in the damned room.

Damn, was she not a morning person.

Shifting in her surprisingly comfortable bed, she smiled softly when the light was blocked out. That was more-

Wait.

Bed?

She hadn't gone to her rooms last night.. She couldn't even remember falling asleep. Slowly, Kat opened her eyes, fearing the worst. The lounge greeted her, bright and way too cheery for this early in the morning.

Even if it looked to be about ten o'clock, it was still too early for her standards. But, once she was up, she was up and there was no going back to sleep until ten o'clock at night or later.

The last thing she could remember was moving down to the floor to sit with Genesis and the popcorn, after the movie they had been watching was over. They had talked for what felt like hours about anything in general. Childhood, parents, betrayal and her theory.

They had came to the final decision.

Kat was not going anywhere without either him, Angeal or Sephiroth. It would be better if she had had at least two of them, but, life didn't work out that, sadly.

Now, here she was, on the couch in the lounge.

"The hell?" She grumbled, slinging her legs out in front of her. It was colder than it had been the day before. Great. Just what she needed, cold weather.

"Feeling better?"

Kat started, wide eyes flashing upward and toward the dark haired man and his silver haired companion. Angeal had been the one that had spoke, but it was doubtless that Sephiroth knew also.

"As good as one can feel after sleeping on the damn couch," she answered, pushing off the couch and stumbling for a moment on her feet while her vision went black dizzyingly. "I take it Genesis told you about our theories?"

Both men exchanged a look and nodded. She frowned. There was something there, something they were hiding from her. Why they thought they had something to hide was beyond her, if they were trying to protect her from something then they would be stupid.

It wasn't as if she couldn't take it, even if they thought she couldn't. That the news of her brother's death made her impaired and weak.

It hadn't, though.

Quite the opposite. It had made her want to find the bastard that killed nearly her whole family and make him pay.

"Yes, he told us about your theories," Sephiroth answered, sounding cool and formal as usual, his ever-present scowl on his otherworldly features. "We think you might be correct, Kat."

Her brows shot up, then down as her eyes narrowed. "I see," she commented, almost accusingly. "What are we going to do about it? Genesis and I though it would just be better if I stayed her until we were positive and even then I wasn't going alone-."

Angeal cut her off, which was a shock itself as he usually waited until someone was finished to speak. "We're sending two Thirds and infantrymen to your father's house. They'll report back if there's a disturbance," he informed her.

Kat's breath caught. Thirds? They could very well send Zack, seeing as he was native to Gongaga and knew what the remaining members of her family looked like. She'd go back before she let him go to Gongaga.

"You don't have to worry about Fair, either," a voice drawled from the doorway. She looked over, recognizing the tone and pitch immeaditately. Beside Genesis stood a grinning, nearly dying-from-excitement Zack. "He's just been promoted to Second."

She grinned back at the beaming spiky haired boy, remembering how excited and proud she had been when she had made Second Class. That much closer to her dream.

Three years ago, when she still had her family and had so many dreams.

Now, she was older and knew dreams were harder to achieve.

Especially when you lost nearly everyone you held close.

"That's great! Wow. Second Class," she shook her head, still grinning. She was proud of him and hoped that he could deal with the extra pressures of being Second. Only a chosen few got a mentor and it was completely based on strengths and skills gathered from one's time in Third.

Kat was sure Zack would get a mentor.

"If you'll excuse us now, Kat, Genesis. Angeal, Zachary and I have business to attend to," Sephiroth announced, nodding curtly to Kat and her elder respectively before leaving the room in a flourish of black leather.

Zack grinned at her while he passed and the dark haired Angeal nodded, his apparent anxiety showing. Kat frowned. If they had just came to tell her their plans, couldn't it have waited until later? She wasn't that busy and there was missions important enough for the Firsts to get involved.

It made no sense at all.

Unless they did know something she didn't.

Her eyes darted curiously to Genesis, who was watching her with the same curiosity. So it wasn't anything about him.

"That was-."

"Strange?"

"I was going to say fucking weird, but that works, too, I guess," she huffed, moving back to the couch on which she fell backward onto. "What are they plotting, I wonder?"

He shrugged, leaning against the wall coolly, still watching her curiously. It was unnerving and beginning to creep her out a bit. "Nothing good," he answered. Kat nodded her agreement, pursing her lips in boredom.

Silence swallowed the room whole.

"It was you, wasn't it? You requested Zack for Second and he got it.." She shook her head, again, a soft smile on her face. "Guess you're not that bad of a guy, Rhapsodos. Still an ass, mind you." She nodded importantly, laughing when he rolled his eyes.

He moved off the wall, approaching the couch casually. Kat watched his progress with polite disinterest, having nothing to say nor anything to do. It was exciting as the day before and the night she had forced him to stay.

Yes.

_That_ exciting.

She groaned, flopping back onto the cushions and staring blankly at the high ceiling. When there was nothing to do in SOLDIER and when you were practically under house arrest, staring at ceilings was the only thing slightly entertaining. "Gaia, what did I do to deserve this?" She cried, thumping her head and fists in a fit of deadly boredom.

Genesis sighed, reaching down from his position in front of the couch to ruffle her hair. Kat shrieked in protest, quickly trying to fix the now incredibly messy chocolate looks. She groaned, again, glaring up at the redhead.

He just liked to piss her off.

It must have been really fun for him.

Made his sad and pathetic life every time she glared at him, which would make his life not really sad and pathetic seeing as she was nearly always glaring at him.

"Go to hell."

He rolled his eyes.

She huffed in annoyance, unconsciously pouting, looking up at him as innocently as she was capable of - not very innocently - and pushed herself into a sitting position, still watching him carefully.

"I feel like I'm going to explode or something. I'm just so damn nervous," she murmured, demeanor changing completely. Her head fell into her hands, fingers curling into her hair tightly, pulling slightly to remind herself that this was real, she was still alive in this hell of waiting.

Waiting for the Thirds and infantry men to go to Gongaga.

Waiting for the bastard to make a move.

Waiting for her to stop waiting.

She was just.. waiting.

"There's no reason to be nervous, Kat. Everything's going to work out just fine, you'll see." Genesis said softly, kneeling down in front of her and placing his forefinger and middle finger on her own hands.

She glanced up, brows knitted together and front teeth pulling back at her chapped bottom lip. It was a bad habit of hers. She'd have to stop soon. If she bought chapstick, the others wouldn't leave it lie.

"I doubt it," she muttered. "Gaia knows I'll have to get my ass over there and kick the idiot's ass to Wutai and back." Kat snorted and sighed, glancing away from the azure eyes that had bored into her own. "Sorry, I'm just really anxious. I mean, he's my father and she's my sister." She looked back to him, corners of her lips dragging down in a frown. "They're the only family I have left, Gen."

She hated how she sounded.

So broken, so empty, so helpless and hopeless.

There was still hope and she wasn't helpless. She was Kat Harmon, SOLDIER First Class, for Gaia's sake!

She shook her head. "Sorry. Again. I just can't go throught that again, y'know? I can't keep losing these people I love!" Her voice broke and she swore inwardly, but couldn't help it or stop it. As much as she tried to be, Kat wasn't invincible. She couldn't expect herself to take every blow, every wound and every traumatic experience or death with a grain of salt.

That just didn't happen.

His hand left her own, cupping her cheek.

She frowned at him, confusion burning every other emotion out of her body and mind. "Wha-?"

Her words were forgotten the moment his lips met her own, moving slowly against hers at first, gentle and sweet. Her eyes widened for a moment, confusion and bewilderment sweeping through her until his hand left her face and travelled to her waist.

It had been a while since she'd last been involved with anyone, almost two months - it was a long time for her - and her skills and knowledge were covered with a metaphorical layer of dust.

All it took was his lips on hers, his hands on her body, to swiftly clean them off and present them to her mind cheerfully.

Kat's hands left her lap, fingers finding his hair and curling around the auburn locks, bringing him closer and closer. She wrapped her legs around his hips, crossing her feet at her ankles, locking him to her body.

Her lips, having stayed still until her body had reacted properly, moved hungrily, passionately, with his, parting when he begged for entrance. The heat between them nearly had her shedding her layers, but she remembered at last minute that they were in the lounge and she only had a pair of shorts and a thin, shrunken t-shirt on.

His hands bunched up the fine silk material of her shirt, fingers brushing against her bare hipbone, leaning forward and effectively making her press into the back of the couch, his body flush against hers. Her head was spinning, pounding and lulling as if she had had too much to drink. Kat was drunk on his kiss.

Suddenly, her entire body froze. Her legs loosened their tightening grip around him and she pulled away, turning her head quickly and scrambling from his hold, shirt pulling down. He still held onto the silk, but she was far enough away to think straight.

She had just been kissing..

Genesis Rhapsodos.

Her former mentor.

Her fellow First Class.

Her friend - or so she'd like to think.

What the _hell_ had she been thinking? Two months wasn't long enough to make her act like that with someone like _him_.

"I'm sorry," she said, breathing quickly and quietly, eyes wide with shock and confusion. "I have to go. I'll, uh... See you at supper."

He frowned at her, releasing her t-shirt though the look in his darkened eyes told her he wanted nothing more than to take it off her. Kat crawled backwards, nearly falling off the couch, and stumbled to her feet.

"It's only eleven o'clock in the morning."

She shook her head, not being able to think as clearly as she'd like with his eyes on her. "Lunch, then. I'm sorry, I just really have to go. I, uh, gotta talk to Sephiroth," she lied, missing the disbelieving tint in his azure eyes.

Without looking back once, Kat ran from the lounge, eyes still as wide as saucers.

What the hell just happened?

She barely knew, the feel of his lips on hers and hands moving up and down her body lingering, making it difficult to think of anything else.

Gaia, it hadn't been that long since she had any action, had it?

Kat hadn't thought so. Two months wasn't that long, hardly long enough to impair her judgement and senses.

Behavior like that could get her thrown out of SOLDIER.

She'd die before she let that happen.

Besides, it was lust that had driven them on, not love. Kat was attractive - or so she'd like to think and had heard from too many men in her life who meant not a thing to her and too few by those who did that she was beautiful - and Genesis, well...

He knew he was good looking.

It was only lust.

Definitely not love.

Kat couldn't afford to be in love with anyone. Especially Genesis.

xlx

_I can't tell you what it really is,  
I can only tell you what it feels like._

xlx

**So...?  
What did you think?  
How was the kiss? :S  
Wellsss, tell me whatcha think in a review. :D  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	10. Nine: Time of Lies

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the reviews.**

**Here we goo! :D Chapter nine. I'm trying to think of how many chapters I should write for this, just to, y'know, see what I have to put in each chapter and how much filler could be needed.. At this point, the minium length is fifteen chapters. Maybe longer if I get time... :|**

**Anyway, chaptuh nine. Hope you all enjoyy! :D**

**Nine; Time of Lies.**

xlx

_Now I know we said things,  
Did things,  
That we didn't mean,  
And we fall back into the same patterns, same routine._

xlx

Kat Harmon was in love.

So happy, so blissful.

Everything felt right, it all clicked into place now!

She was in love with..

The ceiling.

Yeah, sure, there was a ton of cracks and paint splatters, and was that blood over there? She couldn't really tell. But, it didn't say anything or do anything. It was just there to stare at blankly.

Damn. She needed to get a pet or something. Anything to keep her from going depressed or insane from staring at the ceiling for hours upon hours.

Too much waiting, she had decided when the clock tolled the second hour of staring at the blank ceiling. Waiting for everyone and everything.

She didn't really want to think about the kiss or Genesis in general, but her thoughts always slipped back that way, circling and anaylizing him and the damned kiss. Damned thing.

Reluctantly, Kat had to admit he was a good kisser. Not that she enjoyed the kiss at all when she remembered it was Genesis and not some guy from a bar. Exactly.

That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"Kat?"

No.

She wasn't talking to anyone, especially Angeal or Sephiroth, and sure as hell not Genesis.

"Kat, please open the door!"

Kat swore, loud enough for them to hear. No way was she getting up just to get interrogated by her fellow Firsts and most likely assaulted by Genesis again. Nope.

They couldn't pay her enough.

Come to think about it.. She _wasn't_ paid enough. Turks were paid more than her and she did some of the important work to. It was like the Turks were the brains and SOLDIER was the brawn. Sent along just to ensure safety.

That was true. She'd been on a lot of missions with Turks and most of the time it was only to make sure they didn't die or anything. Those missions hadn't been exactly eventful. Though, there was that time when Reno nearly died..

"Kit-Kat?"

Her eyes widened and darted to the door as if she expected to see Damien standing there. She swore, again. He was here? Maybe.. If he was, why?

What happened?

Questions buzzed in her mind, nearly impairing her. Kat scrambled to her feet, almost falling over herself to reach the door. No one but Damien called her that. No one.

Heart racing, she jerked the door open, thinking she would find her father standing there. Only Genesis, Sephiroth and Angeal. She glared at each of them, gripping the door tighter. That was low. Very low. She thought it was her father, dying or in need of something.

Damn them to hell.

"Fuck you," Kat spat, moving out of the doorway and preparing to slam it in their faces. Genesis stuck his foot in the doorjam, though, and effectively made her eyes go to his. Something flickered in the azure depths while annoyance and anger boiled in hers.

She didn't want to talk to any of them, especially not him, and she would not flinch away from the idea of slamming the door on his foot. Her eyes locked with his in a glaring match, his goading and cocky and hers angered and pissed.

Of course, on their own accord - that was her story and she was sticking to it - her eyes drifted to his lips for a brief second. It was long enough to put a smirk on his face, though. Her glare strengthened and her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not afraid to break your foot. Or jaw." She hissed, seriously toying with the thought. If anyone knew, they wouldn't blame her for breaking his foot or jaw or anything, really. But, then, if anyone knew..

It would not turn out pretty.

"Or my heart," he added, too quiet for the other two men to hear. She frowned at him, heart beginning to pick up speed in a frantic panic. His.. Heart? Of course, she could be called a heart-breaker, but she never imagined herself to be so.

She wasn't like the other girls that were called that. Kat didn't take pleasure in stealing hearts and breaking them beyond repair. Not when her own heart had been trampled on so many times she'd made herself invincible to love.

But, his words did spike her curiosity.

What had she ever done to his heart?

Unless...

Oh... Hell.

Her eyes widened with shock and she wanted very much to slam the door now, not because she was pissed at all of them - she was still, the assholes - but because she wanted to think and get away from those words.

"Sorry. I'm not in the mood," she growled, trying to remain as angry as she could, and gave all three Firsts a deadly glare. "If you haven't noticed, my life has pretty much gone to hell. So, if you could all leave me alone for the next ten years, that'd be amazing!"

She glanced over to where a figure lingered and arched a brow at it's spiky head. "Except you, of course, Zack. Not your fault these dipshits don't understand space," her words were directed for the Second though her eyes met Genesis' briefly. "I'm really not in the mood."

The young man grinned from the shadows, stepping closer to her door. Kat moved out of the doorway, letting him into her rooms before she turned back to the men. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance. "When I feel like talking to you guys, I'll tell you," she snapped, then felt her expression soften. "Please. I... I just need time."

"Time with Zack, you mean," Genesis corrected wrongly. As if a switch was flipped, her soft eyes and broken expression were gone, hardened into the mask she always donned. Survival mechanism. Don't let yourself break from being broken.

She had been softening up to them, again, actually wanting to spend time with all three of them like they had done so many years ago. Without all the stress of death and killing and that kiss. But with what he said, he just squashed all her desire of spending time with him.

With anyone of them, besides Zack.

"Yeah. Time with Zack. Maybe, I'll take advantage of his excitement of getting Second and make a move on him," she sneered, being cruel and under-handed, but she couldn't care less. He was egging her on and she, like always, went along without hesitation.

Most of the time she didn't even think of what she was saying before she said it. This was one of those times.

"He's in for a treat, then," he retorted, voice low and pitched in way that only she could hear him.

"Go to hell, Genesis."

"I'll go willingly if I can take you with me."

She narrowed her eyes at him, planting her hands at her hips. "I'd say go fuck yourself, but you'd probably ask me to watch," Kat growled, her tone, like his, only reaching him.

He smirked at her, taunting her, mocking her. She huffed impatiently, moving out of the doorway and slamming the door in their faces.

Oh, hell. What had she gotten herself into?

xlx

"You okay, Kat?"

She glanced over to the dark haired boy, brows knitted together. _Was_ she okay? She felt like her entire life was spinning out of control.

"You know, I have no idea, really," she murmured and got to her feet, collecting the plates. "I.. It's just.. My brother's dead." Blunt and to the point, that was Kat. His violet eyes softened at her words but Zack didn't speak. "And then Genesis is being an ass."

He looked up, eyes bright with interest, at that. Kat rolled her eyes, marching into the kitchen, aware of him following her. "How's he being an ass?" Zack asked when she dumped their plates into the sink, not bothering to watch them now.

She frowned.

It wasn't something she could explain easily. It was like an on-going war between them, a war that's stakes had just been raised. Then there had been that comment about his heart and how she apparently wasn't afraid to break it.

What was that all about?

He couldn't actually be.. Couldn't have..

No.

That was crazy, downright crazy. It was a love-hate relationship they had. They loved to hate each other!

But.. Could Kat honestly say that she hated him?

No.

"Kat?"

She looked up, making an unattractive sound in acknowledgement.

"How is Genesis being an ass?"

Kat shrugged at him, heaving herself onto the counter with a sigh. "He's just really confusing at the moment. Ask Angeal or Sephiroth about us," she snorted, grinning at the fifteen year old. "They should have amazing stories about the two of us."

He watched her with interest, a grin on his face as well. "Angeal was assigned to be my mentor." He announced, nearly bouncing with the happiness that dripped from his words. Her eyes widened in surprise.

She had known that he would've got a mentor, she just thought it might've been her or Sephiroth. Angeal had more patience than she and was gentler than Sephiroth, but he had those damned lectures.

"That's great! Wow. Angeal's a good guy, he'll be an amazing mentor," she complimented. "Be happy you don't have Genesis or I. Gaia, would you be in for it." She winked at him and leaned against the cabinets.

Zack's grin grew and he nodded, though looked wary and shifted far too many times to be relaxed. "Uh, sorry. I sorta have to go now. Angeal wanted me to start training as soon as possible. Get to First faster, he says," he apologized, rubbing the back of her neck.

Kat shrugged, watching him coolly. It was a smart thing to do. If she'd been his mentor, she would have spent the night at a bar with him, celebrating his promotion. "Of course. Tell him that I'm fine with talking to him and Sephiroth. Not," she added quickly when he nodded, "Genesis."

He shrugged as well and left the kitchen. A few minutes later and the door shut softly on his good-bye, leaving her to her overwhelming thoughts which always lead back to Genesis' words, his lips on hers, his hands on her.

Oh, Gaia.

Lust, she reminded herself. It had been two months since she'd been with anyone. And, as it was, she had more important to worry about besides kisses and lust.

Such as Damien and Lyndsay's safety.

Even though she hated the idea of going back to Gongaga, she hated the idea of losing her family even more. Angeal understood better than the other two. When you went from having everything, to losing everything, you sort of lost sight on the important things.

When the future was this ill-fated, you could only focus on the _here_ and _now_.

Even if the present was just as bad.

Which it was.

Kat groaned to herself, not caring that no one was in her rooms - or so she hoped. No, there couldn't be. Her room was in perfect condition, her door had been locked when she had gotten back and every entrance needed her own keycard to open.

Only two people had the keycard to open her door.

One was, obviously, herself, and the other was...

She swore, remembering. Genesis.

Why was it that he had the last keycard, you ask?

Because, when she was promoted to First, she was given two. One for herself and one for somebody she trusted in case of emergencies. She had trusted him - at that time - with her life and had had a crush on him - at that time - so it only seemed fit for Genesis to have it.

Not anymore.

She'd rather if there was only one keycard.

Her cell phone's shrill ring took her away from her thoughts forcefully, eyes drifting to the screeching device that vibrated on her counter. She sighed and snatched it, flipping the phone open, and brought it to her ear.

"It's Kat." She answered, staring at the other side of the kitchen. "What's up?"

There was soft breathing and a distinctly feminine chuckle. "Hey, little sister," her sister's voice greeted, sounding happy and familiar but...

Off.

Kat frowned. Lyndsay didn't sound normal, she sounded.. Forced. Like she was being made to call her. She'd play along, of course. If something was up, she didn't want to seem like she was in the know.

Especially when every instinct and nerve in her body was screaming how wrong it felt.

Not once had her instincts been off, been misleading. That's why she wasn't a very defensive fighter. She'd do what she would have to do to stay alive and that was it.

"Lynsday. What's going on? Why are you calling?" She questioned, sliding off the counter to allow her to pace.

Her sister sighed. "Nothing's wrong. Yet. There are a lot of men here, all from ShinRa. Do you know anything about it?" Lyndsay asked.

So, the infantrymen and SOLDIERs had arrived. That was good. "Yeah. They're there to protect you and Damien," Kat answered, relief sinking into her. "Don't give them any trouble, Lyndsay. Please. I'm just trying to keep all of us safe."

Lyndsay snorted darkly, and, once again, she seemed off.. Not the girl she had known for her entire life nor the woman she had seen a few days ago. "You could always come back and protect us yourself, Katelyn." She reminded her, ruthless and sharp.

Her words stung and she bristled at her full name. "It's Kat, and, no, I can't. I mean, I could, for, like, three days. Not alone. There's people that I care about here and I can't leave them, Lyn. I can't let anything happen to them." She attempted to explain.

Her sister laughed, a short and humorless sound, before swearing at her. "You're such a bitch, you know that, Kate? They're in SOLDIER! They can protect themselves!" She shouted. Kat cringed at the sudden volume.

Low and under-handed.

She could fight back just as well as her sister.

"You have Damien! Damien can protect both of you! By the time this bastard is dead and gone, you'll have fucked every infantryman posted in Gongaga!" Kat yelled back, not caring if anyone in the hall heard. It was the First's floor, after all. "I may be a bitch, but at least I'm not a whore!"

She was swearing more than she normally did.

Great, this is what her sister did to her every time they talked. Every. Time.

"Oh-ho, yeah, sure! Go ahead, think that! Just know that your precious _boyfriend_ wouldn't sleep with me because he thought it would upset you. True love, huh?" Lyndsay snarled.

Kat's breath hitched in her throat at that, anger boiling, her face and body heating. Everything was heated with fury and hatred. She could barely keep a hold on it all, it was slipping from her grasp.

One more word and it'd all be gone. She would literally lose it.

And Lyndsay knew that.

"You are just sitting pretty in Midgar while your family, _our_ family, is being slaughtered."

Her hands shook, fingers tightly grasping the cell phone, too tight, to the point where it hurt. No. She wasn't. If she could, she'd go to Gongaga as soon as possible. But, she couldn't.

She couldn't leave.

"What the hell do you want from me, Lyndsay. Do you want me to flip out? Do you want me to cry? Do you want me to try to kill you myself? 'Cause I swear, if you keep pushing and pulling at me, I will! Gaia! Just leave me alone, would you? I'm trying to protect you and Dad as good as I can! At least I'm doing that much! You're doing nothing but bitch at me like a child! _I_ am trying to fix this! Do you understand this?

"I'm trying to fix _our_ family, dammit! We hate each other because of me and I'm trying to fix what I broke! Can't you understand that?" Kat yelled, not bother once to stop for air. "No, you can't! You're incapable of thinking about anyone besides yourself! So, do me a favor and leave me the _hell_ alone!"

She hung up, breathing heavily and eyes blurring with tears of betrayal. It hurt as much as it had when Damien and her siblings blamed her for their mother's and Joey's death. Maybe worse, because now she could finally do something, and she was doing nothing.

No.

That wasn't true. That was what Lyndsay was trying to do.

But.. Why would her sister say that? Why would her sister be that relentless and cruel?

Unless...

Kat's eyed widened in realization, fear diluting her body while panic scrambled her mind. "Oh..Shit."

There was a clicking noise from the door, the sound it made when it unlocked, and it swung open with a _whoosh_. Her eyes - still wide with this newfound information - snapped up to the only other person who had a keycard.

He was frowning at her, worry evident on his face. "I heard you screaming at someone. Your sister or father?" He asked in way of explanation, closing the door gently behind him.

Shock had numbed her and it took Kat a while to process his words. "Lyn," she murmured, not really hearing his response.

Could what she thought be true?

No.. It couldn't. Lyndsay wouldn't sell out her family, not for a man who had killed most of them. Not even for sex or money or the promise of love and security.

She hoped.

xlx

_But, your temper is just as bad as mine is,  
You're the same as me._

xlx

**So...?  
What did you think?  
Oh my God, this chapter was going absolutely nowhere at first, but then I started watching FFXIII AMVs, and yeahh... Got back into the swing of thangss. (:  
But, I liked how and where it went, even though Genesis coming in at the end was ultra-random, I know. But the whole thing with Lyndsay and Kat... Fun stuff! :D I like writing arguements. Things come out in the heat o' the moment.  
Anyways, revieww! (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	11. Ten: Part One: Lyndsay's Deceit

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. **

**Okayy! Chapter ten, the farthest I've been since last year or 08. Suh-weet, time to get an IceCap(T) or something... And in honour of this, I will buy an latte and make this chapter have two parts! XD (in other words... same things go on, just in another perspective.**

**So, chapter ten is here. I hope you like it. (:**

**Ten; One More Lie.  
Part One; Lyndsay's Deceit.**

xlx

_You said you were there for me,  
You wouldn't let me fall._

xlx

"Does she know?"

Her emerald eyes flickered to Mason Perce, the man, the man that had killed her mother, younger brother and twin without batting an eye. The man she loved.

Lyndsay smiled warmly at him and shook her head. "No. She's too thick to realize what's right under her nose," she laughed happily, embracing him. It was the truth. Kat couldn't even understand that she, her sister, was the reason why Dani, Joey and Nathan were dead.

It was brilliant!

Mason nodded at her when he pulled away. All business. "That's good. Yes, very good," he murmured, pacing away. Her eyes followed every movement he made, her sister's words echoing in her mind.

_"I am trying to fix this! Don't you understand this?"_

Yes, she did understand that.

She understood that Kat couldn't do shit and wasn't going to Gongaga anytime.

She glanced out the window, meeting an infantryman's eyes. He nodded grimly in acknowledgement but didn't attempt to enter the house. Good. "She said something interesting, Mace," Lyndsay cooed, trailing her fingers down his arm.

His eyes flashed up to hers, the brilliant Mako blue of SOLDIER. She didn't understand why someone like him had ever joined the wretched organization. "What was it?" He asked, sounding excited and truly interested.

She grinned at him, arching a brow. It had been stupid to tell her this, but, then, Kat hadn't been exactly bright to begin with. "My dear _little_sister told me she simply could not leave Midgar," Lyndsay informed him quietly and enticingly. "Because she had people she _cared_ about there."

Mason grinned back at her, obviously thrilled with this new information. Good. She had done her job well, then, and would likely get a prize. Her grin grew at the though, turning sly.

"Very good, love. I wonder who it would hurt more to lose, her loving SOLDIER First Class father," both of them spat disgustedly to the ground here, "or her darling First Class boyfriend."

Lyndsay knew which of the two would hurt more and no doubt he did, too. The boyfriend. Of course, even she shied away from the idea of killing her father, but..

After what she had found about the damned man, she knew she could do it flawlessly and without a single ounce of regret.

He had kept her a secret for so long and she despised him for that.

"I can't believe she let that slip," Mason commented, shaking his head. "That's very stupid of a First Class, don't you think?"

She grinned at him, wrapping her thin arms around his torso. "Very stupid. But, not as stupid as you not kissing me," she whispered, grin growing wider when he smirked and leaned down towards her.

xlx

Lyndsay sighed exasperatedly, able to pass it off as a whimper of fear when Damien's eyes turned to her. She bit her lip hard, eyes welling with tears of pain, and he sighed, too. He moved over the couch, holding out his arms for her.

Inwardly, she was about to throw up from the mere idea of touching the man, but she had to play her part as the innocent, timid and fearful daughter perfectly. This was just another lie, another act, another mask.

She was so used to them now.

The sooner Damien died, Lyndsay knew, the better.

"I'm sorry, daughter," he murmured into her hair, holding her tightly to his body. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Not while I'm alive and kicking."

It wouldn't be that long of a wait.

She already had a stronger man, younger man, whom she loved, looking out for her. The `enemy´.

Lyndsay wanted to laugh from the irony of it all.

While her sister and father and half of the stronger members of SOLDIER fretted and worried about her safety, she was sleeping with the man that caused all of this panic. Of course, they were too stupid to figure it out.

Dumb asses.

"I know, father," Lyndsay whimpered, inhaling the once comforting scent of laundry detergent and coffee. It was now something that made her want to throw up. "I know you'll protect me."

How long could she keep up this charade?

For as long as she needed to. It was just getting interesting. Kat was nearly going insane with the pressure of looking after what was most likely ten people besides her self and her father was a clueless as always when it came to Lyndsay.

Kat had always been the favored daughter and she had always hated her for that.

Until recently, she had never understood the shame that came onto her father's face when he looked at her or the look of disgust on her mother's.

Now, she knew. Every last detail.

She had been the daughter of her father and a Second Class bitch, the woman having left once giving birth to her and finding out Damien was married.

It was enough for her to hate SOLDIER.

"My daughter, I know how you must feel towards me, but I was young and foolish. I thought I could have as many women as I wanted," he tried to explain now. Her lower lip quivered in outrage.

So much like him. Thinking he could have it all when he had nothing. She couldn't wait until she could kill him.

Hell, she'd beg Mason to do it, just like she had begged him to let her give the final blow to Nathan. He had known all along and went on pretending he was her twin.

Bastard.

She had never felt so betrayed and worthless in her life.

"No, father. I know you would never intentionally try to hurt me."

Bull shit.

But, as long as he believe it, it didn't matter how crazy what she said was.

As long as she did her job perfectly, it didn't matter who died.

As long as it wasn't her.

xlx

"It'll be hard, but I think we can do it," Mason stated.

Lyndsay blinked up at him from the book in her lap, brows knitting together in confusion. What was he talking about now? She asked him this.

"Rhapsodos, of course! It'll be hard to kill him, but I'm positive we can do it." He repeated, sounding annoyed. She frowned. It would be very hard. He was a famous and very popular SOLDIER First Class. It would be hard to get him on his own, let alone kill him.

But, if Mason said they could do it..

Well, then they could do it or die trying!

"Of course. It'd be more of a blow if he was dead, but she seems hellbent on protecting Damien and I," she informed him, still frowning, and pushed the book off her silk-clad lap with a rustle of fabric. "I talked to her, after all."

He scoffed, sending her a dark look. "I think everyone heard what she said when she was yelling at you, Lyn," he said, using her nickname affectionately. "I agree, though. It would be very easy to take out your father first. His skills are rusty and reflexes slower than Rhapsodos'."

She smiled softly at him when he sat down beside her, taking her hands. "I love you, you know that, right? The moment this is all over, I'm going to take you to the farthest place and marry you," he murmured, arms encircling her.

Lyndsay grinned at the promise. It would be over soon. Very soon. If Kat didn't back down and leave SOLDIER, like they both knew she would, they'd kill her.

Either way, it was ending very soon.

"I'll be looking forward to it, SOLDIER boy."

xlx

She stood outside now, watching him leave for her father's home under the cover of darkness. She knew he would return, could make any kill swift and silent. Her father would not expect this, not from anyone.

She almost wished she was with him.

Lyndsay was just as good as he, maybe even better as she knew her father's weakness and routines.

But, he had forbade it.

Couldn't go blowing her cover because she hated the man.

So, Lyndsay stood and waited and prayed that he would return with the duty done and her sister's father dead.

It wouldn't be too long after that, she thought with a smirk, till they left for Midgar and set their sights on her friends there.

The people she swore she didn't love but couldn't help but love anyway.

The people that loved her no matter how much Kat said she hated them.

Oh, it would be almost too much it would be criminal.

Even though it truly would be criminal.

"He'll return, Miss Lyndsay," a voice cooed from the shadows and she flinched, hand flying to the dagger at her thigh. It was for emergencies, Kat had told her when she'd given it to her four years ago.

This was an emergency. She smirked.

"I suppose I should have expected you, huh?"

The man smirked back at her and took her in arms. "Yeah, you should have. I'm always watching you," he reminded her. Lyndsay sighed, snuggling into the warm chest. "I don't understand why you're still with that ass."

She stiffened, becoming uncomfortable very quickly. "I love him, Erik. Not _you_." She snapped, starting to pull back. He tightened his grip around her and if she had been weaker, she would've been screaming from pain.

But, fending for yourself for a year or so made you strong; physically and emotionally.

"You could love me. If you loved me, you wouldn't die. I could say that you were kidnapped by him and he held you for ransom," Erik offered. Lyndsay shook her head and bit her lip. "Come on, Lyn! You're not like this! This isn't the girl I know, the girl I love! Where did she go?"

Now, she was ice.

Frozen and hard, nearly impossible to break.

If she saw herself, she'd would have been thoroughly scared, just like Erik looked to be. Everything about her was like Kat and her mother when they were pissed.

At that moment, she looked like she was capable of killing him and not even batting a lash at it. She looked like she was a hundred miles away, out of reach by everyone and everything.

Lyndsay looked like a woman who had seen it all and lived through it without a single scratch.

She looked like Kat when she was pissed off.

"She's gone, Erik. She left when her mother and brother were killed."

He shook her violently, ignoring the flash of outrage that went across her face. "No! He killed them, Lyn! Not Kat, not Damien and not you!" He shouted, ignoring everything but her.

Lyndsay reached out and slapped his face, palm smarting from the force, but didn't quite have the strength or decency to care.

"It might as well have been all of us. I'm sorry, Erik. Out of all of the men here, I liked you the best," she murmured, unsheathing the dagger that was strapped to her arm and plunging the silver blade into his chest.

He gaped at her, shock and incredulity frozen on his striking features, legs buckling. "Y-y-you," he rasped, unable to get any other word out when the poisoned tip diluted his blood, face going pale and blood streaming out of the corners of her mouth.

Grotesque.

How could Kat live like that?

Blood and killing and death every day..

"That woman was not my mother." She hissed, before slashing his throat with the dagger that had been strapped to her thigh, hidden by the blue silk of her dress. "Nor was Kat my true sister. I'm neither of them. Remember that, SOLDIER."

xlx

When Mason returned that morning, before the sun rose and he lost all secrecy, Erik's body was gone, her dress was clean and weapons pristine.

There was no sign of a fight, no sign of death besides his blood-splattered clothing. She didn't have to ask if it was done. The look of grim satisfaction was all that she needed to know.

"Was it hard?"

Mason glanced over to her, eyes slightly glazed, and shrugged. "Not that hard. Gave me enough of a struggle to think twice about going after Rhapsodos, but what the hell," he answered grimly. "What does it matter, though? I'll get it done."

She grinned at him, heart racing with love and adrenaline.

He'd get it done.

She knew he would.

It wasn't that that made her secretly scared.

It was her sister. She was tough and as hard to break as her. She took pain with a grain of salt, fighting until she was nearly dead or passed out. If it came down to having to kill her..

Mason would be in a hell of a fight.

As much as Lyndsay disliked her sister, as much as she thought she was so sure of herself and cocky..

If it came down between Mason and Kat, well... She knew who she'd chose.

Even if she hated her younger half-sister, she knew who she would chose.

Without a single doubt in her mind, Lyndsay knew.

She loved Mason and it seemed only sensible that she would stay with him to the end, not giving a damn who she had to kill to keep her place by his side. It was the only sensible thing.

But, sometimes there were things in life that made you think in the most outrageous, craziest manner. One of those thing was love. Another was respect or admiration.

The only thing that could sway Lyndsay from her boyfriend's side was blood.

If he spilt her sister's blood, even a drop.

Without a single doubt in her mind, Lyndsay knew that she'd choose her sister over this man.

If it came to that.

So, when he took her in his arms and kissed her until she couldn't breathe, until she couldn't think straight, she went right along with it.

It was vital that she played her part of the innocent, loving and scorned girlfriend. Made him think she didn't have a doubt in her mind that what they were doing was right.

Anything that kept her alive.

Anything that kept her safe.

xlx

Lyndsay swore she loved him, swore she'd do anything to make him happy and proud, swore she'd die for him if she had to.

Every promise she made, she artfully kept Kat out of it.

Even if she wanted to make her hurt, she didn't want her dead.

That was a line she couldn't cross.

Not her baby sister.

Not the girl that had lost everything and had barely begun to lose enough.

So, she kept her baby sister out of every promise she made to Mason, determined that if she was going to hell, she was going to sure as hell going to keep her sister safe.

Maybe that would redeem her soul, even when it was so far gone.

No.

She couldn't do that to a girl who had lost nearly everyone she loved and had still not lost enough, had still so much heart break to go through before it was over.

Lyndsay Harmon would die to ensure her sister's life and she had a feeling she was going to.

She was proud to say she didn't care.

Anything that kept Kat safe.

Anything that kept Kat alive.

Even if Lyndsay had to die for her.

At least then she could try to buy back an already bought soul.

At least then she could say she saved someone in her life, did something good for someone she loved.

Even if she made them feel want to die before she gave up her life for them.

It didn't make a difference in the long run.

xlx

_Don't act like an angel,  
You've fallen again._

xlx

**Soo...?  
What did you think?  
That's it for the first part of chapter ten. I hoped you enjoyed and sort of understood where Lyndsay was coming off from.  
REVIEWWW! You know you wannnaa! (:  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	12. Ten: Part Two: Kat's Theory

**Copyright infringement not intended. T for language and violence. Thanks for the review.**

**Okay! Chapter ten, part deux! Hopes you enjoyy! (:**

**Ten; One More Lie.  
Part two; Kat's Theory.**

xlx

_Welcome to the end;  
It's all about to go down._

xlx

Kat's knee bounced anxiously, eyes flashing from Sephiroth's speculative face to Angeal's thoughtful face, then back to Genesis' wary eyes. She was sure that this was it, sure that this was what was going on.

It made sense.

How the killer knew when she went to Gongaga and when she left, timing Nathan's death precisely. Lyndsay, her own flesh and blood, was practically killing their family for no apparent reason.

The mere thought made her stomach churn nauesously. Didn't she realize it was her family? Didn't she care?

No, she thought. It was Lyndsay and Lyndsay got whatever she wanted, when she wanted it. Spoiled brat.

"What do you think?" She asked, finally after a few more minutes of torturous silence. Sephiroth glanced over to her whilst Angeal gulped down his water. She bit her lip anxiously, waiting for the answer.

It was Genesis that spoke, not Sephiroth or Angeal. "It's plausible," he answered, as indirect as possible. Kat glared at him, not exactly in the mood for games. He shrugged at her. "What would her motives be?"

Good question. Very good question.

"Me? Nathan? Our father?" She shrugged, as well, not able to give him a full answer. "Damien has a special way of making you want to kill him. It's a gift, really."

The men rolled their eyes at her and she simply arched a brow back. She knew her father better than them. She could remember the man he had once been and the man he turned into.

"Some sort of resentment towards you or Mr. Harmon, it seems..."

Sephiroth's voice became a babble, just a noise to the clammer of her thoughts.

If what she thought was true, if Lyndsay was in cahoots with the bastard that killed her mother and brothers, then Kat was half afraid of who would be next. Her father, most likely, if he wasn't already dead.

Then her friends and comrades in Midgar, going by who was easiest to who was hardest. Her eyes flickered across the small group of men, lingering on Zack, who sat awkwardly in a church, not really talking a great deal.

She wouldn't let anything happen to him, she swore to herself. She'd die before she let him get killed by her sister and that damned man. She didn't care if it came down to that or not, either way it made her proud to know that.

Finally, she had someone she could actually say that about and mean it. With the three Firsts, it was the same way, except they wouldn't need her help. They were far more experienced and could handle an archer and a young woman.

Kat should have been able to handle him. She should have been thinking of every possible attack, every possible outcome. But, she hadn't. She had been too damn trusting and her family was dying because of that.

It was her fault, no matter what anyone said. If she had been stronger, smarter, more defensive... This wouldn't be happening.

With a noise of disgusting that unknowingly interrupted the men's conversation, that had grown more serious by the minute, she stood, turning away from them. Would it be better if she just ended it all? If she went to Midgar and confronted this man that was making her life hell?

Maybe.

But, who was to say that they wouldn't follow her and do something stupid, like, say... try to save her?

It was a very good possibility.

Kat swore under her breath and shook her head to herself, musing over their stupidity. Loving people made you stupid. It truly did. Your life, your well-being, depended on theirs. Love made you dependant and weak and everything she detested.

That was why it would be better if she cut the ties now. Ripped them away from her and kept a careful distance, like she should have all along. For their safety and well-being. She loved them, even though she'd never admit to anyone besides Zack or Angeal, and she'd be devastated if harm came their way because of her.

"Kat?"

She looked up at her name, blinking back the haze of thoughts and narrowed her eyes at the redhead. A familiar mask shifted into place, blocking out any emotion besides ice and cool hardness.

Zack shifted anxiously in the chair.

The room was tense, the older men recognizing this change in her demeanor but not commenting on it, and for that she was thankful. "It's not your fault," Angeal told her quietly but sternly.

Her response was a lethal glare and a steady finger pointed at the door. "Out." She ordered, voice turse and curt. "Now."

The Second's eyes widened in shock and the three Firsts exchanged looks. She didn't care. She needed them out of her rooms, needed to think clearly and freely without having to worry about them noticing.

She needed them to think she was breaking and needed space.

Needed them to think anything, really, just as long as it wasn't the truth.

"Kat," Genesis' voice was soft and quiet, his profile suddenly looming in her vision. She folded her arms over her chest, trying to seem menacing and intimidating. "This isn't you. Don't let her get to you like that."

Kat growled, a low and dangerous sound and flung her arm out at the door again, letting her anger and outrage from everything that had happened so far control her. "Don't you _dare _tell me who I am, Rhapsodos," she hissed, glaring darkly at his honest and open azure eyes, that suddenly snapped with anger.

She had unintentionally challenged him, daring him to fight her, and he was responding positively.

"I can tell you who you are, Harmon, especially when you're letting yourself get pushed around by your sister," he sneered. "So weak. Can't make your own decisions, can you?"

Her heart pounded with adrenaline, blood singing with the inevitable fight. "I can damn well make my own decisions, and I'm not weak." She fired back, not caring that Zack and Angeal and Sephiroth watched with incredulous expressions. "I'm stronger than you."

Genesis scoffed, his expression cruel and ruthless.

This was a fight; one neither adults intended to back down from.

"Sure, you are. If you're so strong, why is your mother dead?"

Kat couldn't help back the gasp nor the flicker of hurt, but easily hid back her emotions, her expression of hostility and indifference. To Zack and anyone else who had not known her before her mother's death, it was terrifying.

But, to the men and Kat, it was nothing new. She had a tighter grasp on her emotions than Sephiroth, only showing what she wanted, when she wanted.

A crack in this mask would destroy her.

She had lived behind it for so long.

"Because you didn't teach me to think defensively. You only taught me how to be offensive, to fight and not think about the repercussions. That's kept me alive, hasn't it?" She quipped back. "If you think you could have done better, I'd like to see you try."

His eyes narrowed at her, giving her a strong glare. "You're pushing it, girl," he growled, sounding as if he was very close to snapping, to physically hit her. For a brief moment, Kat was extremely aware of the leather sheaths brushing against her bare skin.

Then, reality snapped back into place and she was back in her former mentor's face, butting heads. She needed him gone, out of her face and out of her rooms, _now_. But..

This game was far too tempting. A challenge to her strength and skills and honor.

"Let's see how far I can push it, then, shall we?"

He glared at her, stronger and more heated than before, angry nearly pulsing from him.

Kat smirked tauntingly, knowing he wouldn't hit her no matter how far she went. He had his dignity and honor. He would not hit a woman.

That could be why she continuously pushed at him, trying to see how much he could take before he snapped at her. "Let's not." He grumbled, moving back a step. There had been less than two inches between them, breath swirling in each others faces.

She turned her darkened eyes to the other men in her rooms, pointing her finger at the door once more, her other hand clenched into fists. "Out. _Now_. Or you can all see how aggressive I can be," she snarled, pretending that guilt didn't try to drown her when Zack flinched away from her.

Slowly, they rose. Genesis stayed in front of her, not looking at her but standing stoically. Kat could hurt him even more, make him hate her. She could make him try to kill her.

She'd do anything to keep them safe.

One by one, Angeal, Sephiroth and Zack left her rooms, each as silent as the next. The quiet was like a knife to her heart, gouging out more and more. She didn't care at this point. Anything to keep them alive, to keep them safe.

"You should go, too," Kat instructed, turning away from her former mentor. "I don't want you getting hurt."

He chuckled and she threw a glare over her shoulder at him. "I understand, Kat. You think shutting us out will help us survive. I get it," he said, moving towards the door. "But, who'll be there for you at the end of this all?"

She said nothing in reply, standing stonily. The door closed softly and her throat constricted from tears.

Who _would_ be there for her when this ended?

xlx

Her head and heart were pounding, forehead gripped in her hands, nails biting into her face. She was talking with some of the stronger and more logical Seconds, trying to figure out what the best course of action was.

Go and end it all where it had began, or wait until she was positive, all the while more of the people she cared about died?

To her, it was painfully obvious. But, also, painfully suicidal. If Lyndsay was with the killer, then she'd have to make a complete different attack combo. Not the quick and fast movements, that were good with opponents that didn't know her weaknesses.

More defensive, more deflection and blows that could easily halt her opponent. Kat would have to go against everything she was taught.

It'd be worth it, if she killed the man and came out on top.

Even though her sister had betrayed her family, and practically killed them all, she couldn't do that. She wasn't a killer and she wasn't go to start killing her last family member. Maybe jail, or let someone else do it.

Not Kat.

"You will have to always be on the defense, Kat," one of the Seconds, some kid called Angie Clarke, repeated, stressing _always_. She rolled her eyes at him. As if she didn't know.

"And, possibly, have something that can deflect archery," Clarke went on. "Or even have a bow with you, or a gunblade or something."

Gunblades. Bow.

Weapons she had been trained in, briefly, and had liked very much. Then, put them away once she got her katanas.

She nodded. "A gunblade would be easiest for me. I know how to shoot and how to fight with one," Kat agreed. "Bow is for the more practised archer."

Clarke and the other Seconds nodded, quickly formalizing a battle plan, while Kat sat, barely listening to them. No one that she cared about knew what she was planning and she was glad about that. They would try to stop her or beg to let them come.

Or come anyway.

It was much easier if she just got this plan and strategy done, then left, and then, hopefully, came back to Midgar with was left of her family. If any was left of her family.

There was no doubt in her mind that Damien was dead. Which was why she wanted to leave, the sooner the better. Hopefully, she could catch the killer and Lyndsay before they left for Midgar and then..

It would all end.

Right where it began.

Unlike when it began, though, Kat was no longer a skittish fifteen year old girl who knew nothing about defensive fighting. She knew more about it, fought sometimes that way when she had no choice but to.

She would think of every possible outcome before she fought. She'd either come out on top, or go out with a bang. Either way, she was fine with it.

But, there was something that was even more different than last time. Last time, she had been afraid of death, but was fine with facing it.

This time...

Death didn't scare her.

If she died, then she could go see her family.. They would probably be like how they were before her mother and Joey died. It would be just like old times, laughing and loving each other without the constant threat of her or one of them dying.

She almost wished she could die.

Of course, that didn't mean she wouldn't fight like hell for her life.

If Kat was going to die, well... She was going to take that bastard down with her.

"When do you plan to leave, Kat?"

She glanced over to the only female Second in the year and smirked at her slyly. "As soon as I can." She answered.

A look flickered on her face; fear, Kat realized. This girl was afraid for her.

"Aren't you afraid to die?" She breathed at her.

Kat shrugged and got to her feet, stretching her stiff muscles. "When you're in SOLDIER, you realize something. Death isn't scary or bad. It's gift. An escape. Anythings better than the hell of waiting for someone you love to die, don't you think?"

xlx

_I fell for something beautiful,  
That turned into a lie,  
I gave my everything to you,  
You left me here to die._

xlx

**Soo...?  
What do you think?  
Now, I realize there isn't much romance in it at the moment and I'll try to weave some in the next chapterr... Have faith!  
REVIEW! Pleasee? :3  
Until next time,**

**xWhiteRainx**


	13. Authors Note

**AN:**

**x.**

**x.**

**x.**

_**Hey!  
xWhiteRainx hereee! (:  
It's not good news that I write this AN for, far from it. **_

_**Unfornutately, I have lost focus with this story. Meaning, I got quite bored writing and it became more of a job than something I love to do. **_

_**So.. Yeah. Bruises and Bitemarks is discontinued until further notice.**_

_**I apologize to my readers, but don't worry!**_

_**I'm working on other things and contemplating on how I could EVER write an FFXIII and CC cross-over.. Because that's something I really wanna do. (:**_

_**(If you have any ideas and/or suggestions, feel free to PM me XD)**_

_**Anyways, I apologize, again.**_

_**Keep an eye out for my next FFVII story. It'll come soon (once I figure out who to do the afore mentioned X-over...)**_

_**So...**_

_**Until next time,**_

_**xWhiteRainx**_

**x.**

**x.**

**x.**


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